Snowbound
by Purpliexzy
Summary: When Elena left Mystic Falls to visit her Aunt in Richmond, she got stuck in the snow with her ex-boyfriend Damon Salvatore? Can she try and mend things up during the short time they have together considering she's the one that broke his heart? All human.
1. Chapter 1

_**I hope you'll like this one. It is originally inspired from Taylor Swift's Back To December but other songs are used too. **_

_**It is a little different from my other stories. There is a bit angst but I am going to put it in the Romance/Drama category. Love xx.**_

Chapter 1.

"_Maybe we forgot all the things we are when we are together." – Ellie Goulding, everytime you go._

_.._

"Miss, can you hear me?" the police officer said as she opened her eyes, she couldn't see a thing her vision was blurry.

"Where am I?" she murmured but her voice hitched, they probably didn't hear her. She groaned as she leaned her head back in her car seat.

She was going to Richmond, to visit her aunt Jenna and her husband Alaric for a week but the snow had different plans. Her cousin Katherine and her boyfriend Mason are there too. Apparently whoever knows her will know that she hates radios and she didn't listen to them, maybe that is why she was caught up in this. Because a serious weather like this would have been reported.

She opened her eyes again and thank god she can see the short dark haired police man trying to undo her seatbelt. "I guess you haven't been reading, listening or watching the news otherwise you wouldn't have risked coming out in this weather."

"Not a fan of radios." She heard a voice say, _wait what? _That is not some voice, it is his voice.

"Damon." She murmured. Is she dreaming? Where the hell is she? "Please, my head." She groaned in pain as she felt two strong arms caught her shoulders. "Damon."

"Yeah, the one and only. Your knight in shining armour." He hissed as he undid the seatbelt that is taking the police man forever. "Hey." He cupped her face. "Can you see me?" she shook her head.

"I can't open my eyes."

"Well, you have to try. We don't have all day, the weather is moody." He snapped and she hissed in pain. "Come on, look at me." He said shaking her face gently.

She opened her eyes and she saw his eyes, his cold blue eyes that haunted her memory since that December evening. She blinked a few times before he dragged her out of the car and put her on her feet.

_14__th__ February 2011._

Elena smoothed her hair and clears her throat before she entered her boyfriend's studio apartment, what she didn't expect was to see him banging her best friend on the bed.

She refused to cry, she refused to let him break her, she won't cry, she was done crying the day her brother died in her arms 4 months back. He died 4 months after her parents died; he was coming back from school after he had a fight with Elena because she was at work and couldn't pick him when a car smashed into him.

_He was rushed to the hospital and what made her who she was were his final words to her. "This is not your fault, Elena. Matt offered me a lift but I refused to follow him." He said as he coughed blood and she cradled him in her arms._

"_I am sorry, Jeremy." She whispered. "I love you more than anything. You are my only family, please don't leave me."_

"_Elena please." he smiled. "You didn't do anything. Forgive me for everything I have done to hurt you. Including the ball I threw in your face on your 10__th__ birthday." He said and she smiled with tears in her eyes._

"_You don't need my forgiveness, Jeremy. You are going to be okay." She whispered. "You are going to be okay."_

_But when she felt him still against her chest, she knew she had lost him. She had lost her only brother after losing her parents in a car accident 4 months back._

"You know Stefan; if you were going to bang my friend you could have told me." She said sassily trying to ignore the pain in her gut. "And you shouldn't have done it in your crappy little studio apartment." She finished as she sat down and took a curl of her hair intertwining it in her finger.

"Elena!" Bonnie gasped and Elena smirked.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as they tried to cover their body. "You didn't tell me you were coming over."

"Now that would have ruined the fun, I wouldn't have seen the free show." She said as she stood up walking to their side. "I didn't think I need a permission to come and see my boyfriend on Valentine's Day. Oh wait, did I say boyfriend? I mean ex-boyfriend."

"You are not breaking up with me." He said through clenched teeth as Bonnie scrambled off the bed and wore her clothes and flashed out of the apartment.

"Like hell I am not." She said as she turned around to leave but he caught her arm. "Okay, now I am going to puke in your face." She said turning around to look at him as he releases his tight grip on her. She slapped him. "Don't you ever touch me with your filthy cheating hands again."

"Elena it is not what it looks like." He said as he scratches the spot where she slapped him

"Oh it is not? I didn't see you having sex with my friend? I didn't see you naked with her on your bed." She said and threw her hands up in frustration. "You don't even deserve the energy I waste talking to you."

"You can't break up with me." He said cockily as she turned to leave. "I was there for you when you lost everyone; you are going to regret this. You can't live without me." She stopped and turned to face him abruptly.

"Oh yeah? And why do you think that, Salvatore? You think you are my rock? My everything?" she hissed. "Then you are wrong Stefan, you are wrong because I have a heart and I can keep it and control my emotions perfectly. Unlike you that you can't keep it in your pants for a few hours." She retorts. "Tell me, how long has this been going on?"

"Even though you don't deserve any explanation from me, I am going to tell you that it has been going on for months, 7 months."

"That was..."

"When your parents died, you were not willing to give me yourself and I got tired of waiting." He said shrugging and she could feel the tears prick in her eyes. If anything is going to make her cry is the fact that he started cheating on her with her best friend a few weeks after her parent's death. "This isn't over though; you are going to come back for me Elena. You can't live without me." He said as he strolled into the bathroom and she let her tears fall.

She moved over to his drawer and packed the rest of the things she had in his apartment and rushed to her car. She doesn't have anywhere to go, her aunt got married a few weeks before Jeremy died and she moved to Richmond. Caroline has broken up with her arrogant possessive ass boyfriend Klaus and she is already dating Tyler Lockwood and it is valentines. She can't just rush to Caroline's even though that is practically where she stays. Katherine, her cousin is visiting Jenna and that left her with only one choice, Mystic Grill.

She ordered beer and started drinking immediately; she excused herself to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was dressed in a red knee length dress with one dress, she knew she looked pretty when she went to see Stefan with her minimal makeup but right now she is a mess, her mascara has run down to her cheeks. She ignored her conscience telling her to let it out and cry but she did smudge her eyes and she guessed a few tears might have come down when she was drinking her 4th beer.

She wiped her face with the tissue in her purse and didn't bother applying any makeup because she was already half drunk. She walked down to where she was sitting and saw him. He looks so gorgeous and _familiar. _But right now she could care less about the Greek god that was sitting beside her.

"You look _familiar_." She heard a husky, again familiar voice said beside her and she didn't bother turning as she downed her beer. "Damn woman, slow down."

He said and she looked up to see his pretty wide blue eyes looking into hers. He looked familiar too, very familiar in fact but she could give zero fucks about that right now. She turned without saying anything as he moved beside her and sits down.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I am trying to sleep. Tuck me in?" she grinned sarcastically and he rolled his eyes. This one is definitely his type.

"Nice try to get into my pants-" he smirked as she shot him a death glare and turned to her drink "But what I meant is, why are you drinking alone on Valentine's Day? You are pretty and..."

"I could ask you the same question." She said and he shrugged.

"Well, since I am not the 'I asked first, answer me first' type of a guy, I would tell you." He sighed as he voice turned into a whisper. "I have two friends, we used to be the 'Team Single Forever' but then one got married and the other one is spending the day with his new girlfriend and here I am... with you." He concluded as she pouted.

"How tragic." She grinned. "You know, it is kind of sad to be here alone when they have gone against the rule, find someone, if she is good, get married. Tada." She leaned into him. "Don't show her to your best friend though; they will end up cheating on you."

"Now I know you are here." He said looking into her eyes and she cocked a brow challenging him to continue. "It happened to you didn't it?"

"I should buy you a beer, you are so smart." She rolled her eyes and brought out her phone and checked the time. "Great, I am drunk and it is only 9pm." She mumbled. "You know what is more tragic; I thought he was going to propose to me today and then bam! I caught him with my best friend, you would have enjoyed the free show too." she shouted the last part and he looked around to see people looking at them.

"Damn, you need to get home." He said.

"It won't help, they are all gone." She whispered as the tears threaten to fall.

"Who are gone?" he asked as he saw the sadness in her eyes.

"My parents, my brother. Everyone. They are dead, and my aunt is not living here anymore. She lives in Richmond."

"I am sorry for your loss." He said and she shrugged. "Did you say Richmond?" he said and she looks at him confirming her answer with her eyes and he groaned throwing his head back. "That reminds me that they are coming next week." He said and before she gets the chance to ask him her phone started ringing.

"Jennnnnnaaaa." She yelled into the phone and Damon stares at her in amusement.

"_Elena. Where are you?" _her aunt asked. _"You don't sound you."_

"I know right!" Elena said grinning. "Guess what, Stefan Salvatore cheated on me. With Bonnie Bennett and here am I drinking my ass off with a cute blue eyed stranger and she turned to wink at him, who is staring at her with an open mouth.

"Damn brother." She heard Damon muttered under his breath but she ignored him.

"_Oh my god! That stupid prick. I am going to have Alaric castrate when we come next week."_

"Wait, you are coming next week?" Elena asked as she yawned. Her eyes are starting to close since she admitted Stefan's and Bonnie's name out loud. "With Alaric?"

"I am so doomed." Damon yelled and she glares at him.

"_Yes. But look, we are going to call you tomorrow when you are sober. I need you to call Caroline to take you home." _Jenna said silently. _"I don't want you to sleep with any cute blue eyed stranger Elena, there are STDs." _Jenna said and Elena giggled.

"Fine." She said. "I am not going to sleep with him. He is not my type, he is team single forever. I think I am going to join that team though." She said as he grinned at her. "Goodbye Jenna." She hung up and turns to look at him.

"Elena Gilbert." He said without hesitation and she looked at him in confusion. 'Damn brother' 'Team Single Forever' Alaric, Tyler and Damon's...

"Damon Salvatore." She hissed. Just great, she just spilled her secrets to him, she hadn't seen him in 8 years, she heard about him so much from Alaric and Tyler. They were the 'Team Single Forever' even though Damon was not in town for 8 years. He used to be an ass, but he is changed. Changed as in looks, he is not that clean shaved 17 year old boy anymore. His face is covered with stubble, sexy stubble and his eyes were lighter now. He has grown into a man with a tall and dark figure and his chest, those shoulders...

"I should have guessed." He said cutting her thoughts short. "You just seem different, in a good way." He said in a low voice his eyes raking shamelessly over her body. They have never gotten along with him; they don't talk much because whenever they do, hell breaks loose. It all started when he pulled one of her hair band from her pig tails and threw it in the water fountain when she was 6 and he was 9.

"I should go." She hissed and pick up her purse as she paid the bartender.

"Not yet." Damon said as he caught her arm and pulled her down to sit down. "Did Stefan really cheat on you?" he asked and when she didn't answer and looked away he whispered "That is not Stefan."

"Then I guess, you don't know your brother that much." She spat. "Many things have changed in the last 8 years, you might not notice... well, I didn't expect you to notice because you are a freaking self-absorbed soul and-"

"I am not the same person anymore." He said silently as he burned her cheek with his stare. She refused to look at him. "And I am sorry, for everything."

"Oh Damon." She laughed clapping her hands. "I really need to get home." She said frowning suddenly and Damon followed her outside.

"You are drunk." He said. "At least, let me take you."

"No." She said flatly refusing his offer as he rolled his eyes and dragged her to his CR-V.

"I am not going anywhere with you." She spat stomping her foot like a little child.

"Don't you see, I am trying to help you here?"

"I don't need your help." She said and he rolled his eyes as he backed her against his car looking into her eyes. _Man, does it feel really hot here, suddenly?_

"I remembered the last time you didn't need my help and you end up having a stitch on your arm." He smirked as her shoulder slumped. "Come on." He said as she jumped into the car and remembered what Damon used to take her home right now. She was only a pathetic 12 year old when he was 15 and they went swimming with their friends. She jumped into the water alone and Damon followed her, she wasn't an expert in swimming and he knew that. He caught her shoulder and she turned around yelling at him to leave her alone.

"_Leave me alone you freak." She yelled glaring at him with her big brown orbs and he raised his brow._

"_I am trying to help you. You are not an expert and you are going to hurt yourself." He said calmly as she shrugged him off._

"_I don't need your help."_

And she bruised her arm against the swimming pool tile, when she went home and her cousin Katherine told her parents that Damon offered to help her and she refused, her mum scolded her for being rude at Damon because Damon was a golden child in her parents eyes since the day he saved a 7 year old Jeremy from being bullied at school.

"Do you still live there?" he asked and she nod.

"But take me to Caroline's. I can't go into my room right now." He nods in understanding. "You know her place?" he nods again and she smiled gratefully as she leaned her head against the window and sleep overtook her.

When they arrived at Caroline's she was already asleep and Damon took her in his arms as he pressed the doorbell and Tyler opened the door.

"Damon? What the hell?" he said as Caroline rushed down the stairs.

"Whoever you are, it is Valentine's and we are having..." Caroline gasped. "Oh my god. What happened to her?"

"Long story, buy the eBook." Damon smirked and Tyler rolls his eyes.

"Whatever happened, how did you fit in this?" he said pointing at Elena who is sleeping on the couch.

"Caroline?" Elena asked as she makes a weird nose and Damon scrunched up his nose.

"How are you feeling?" Damon asked folding his arms against his chest.

"Elena, are you okay?" Caroline asked as Elena gets on her feet and almost fell down; the alcohol has gotten to her head after a few minutes sleep.

She stumbled into Tyler and giggled "Oh, you are so pretty." She said pinching his cheek and Tyler groaned.

"Yeah, so you knew that when you slapped me after I kissed you?." Tyler said folding his arm against his chest and Caroline groaned.

"This conversation comes up whenever one of you is drunk. Come on 'Lena, let's get you upstairs." Caroline caught her arms and Elena dragged herself to Damon leaning into him.

"Thank you for the lift." She said and he smiled, really smiled. "But it doesn't change anything, I still hate you." She whispered and she can see that sadness back in his eyes as she pat his upper arm and followed Caroline upstairs.

_End of flashback, 28__th__ December 2012._

"You heard what he said Miss Gilbert." The police officer said as he tightened his jacket around himself. The snow is falling a bit faster and wilder than before. "Will you follow him to where he lives since you are familiar with each other." He looked between them. "And that is our only option because there is no space in our truck." She groaned inwardly as she leaned against her car looking at the car again in frustration.

"There is nothing we can do?" she asked silently. "You said the car is okay, can't we just pull it back on the road and I'll drive back to Mystic Falls. It is like 20 minutes away, I can manage." She said and Damon scoffed.

"Look, I don't have all day." He retorts. "I need to get back inside before the road closes." And he looked at her, a death glare in his eyes. _Damn._

"Miss Gilbert?" the tall police officer said. "We can't pull your car back, your only option is to follow Mr. Salvatore and like her said, you were acquainted once, and it wouldn't be too bad."

"Yeah right." She murmured and Damon looked away, he is one minute away from taking off the offer if she wastes more of his time.

"I should be going." Damon said as he dragged himself off her car and adjusted his cardigan and starts walking to his car.

"How many days do you say it is gonna last for?" she asked silently.

"We don't know for sure, a week or more. It depends." She groaned and closed her eyes for seconds when she heard Damon has already started his car.

"I will go with him." She said. She is going to spend the week with the man she shattered into pieces. And she couldn't help but compare the moment of their break up and this one.

"Mr. Salvatore." The police yelled as he waved his hand and Damon turned off the engine sliding his window down.

"What again?" he groaned.

"I am coming with you." She said and he gets out of the car and opened the trunk of her car getting her bags out.

"Were you moving to another city forever?" he scowled. "What are you doing with three suitcases?" he asked as he held two in his hands and she pulled out the last one slamming the trunk closed.

"Nothing that concerns you." She jeered and he let out a dry laugh.

"Still discourteous I see, you are going to keep that to yourself for the next week because I am not tolerating it." He said grimly and she ignored him and they loaded her loads to his trunk and turn back to the police men.

"Thank you Mr. Salvatore for taking her." The police said shaking Damon's hands.

"Yeah, she is always handful. Don't worry." He smirked and get into his car without saying more and she did the same.

Elena turned to the window as she continued to think about how Damon hadn't changed. His sarcastic and snarky comments are still there but his eyes are cold and he is moody like never before. He seems to give zero damn about what she does as she saw him tapped on the steering wheel with his fingers and hum along to the song that was playing on his car stereo. She stared at him for a few seconds before he turned to look at her with his dead cold stare and she winced.

He drove in an awkward silence- well it was awkward for her because she kept flicking her nails and he didn't seem in the mood to talk. She didn't want him to considering how they part ways. After 5 minutes of driving they stopped at a house that looks almost exactly like the boarding house in Mystic Falls. He stepped out of the car immediately and brought out her bags.

"Let's get this inside fast." He said slowly. "I don't want the car stuck here before I come back to park it in the garage." He said grabbing two of her bags and she carried the other one. She saw a few things in cartons that look like groceries shopping and she wanted to help him get them inside but she doesn't want to interfere.

"What are you still doing here?" Damon hissed. "If you are thinking twice about it then I can bring out your belongings now."

"I was just trying to help you with this." She said silently. "I don't know if you would want them inside."

"Just go. I will come with them."

"But you can't bring them all alone; you have to come out again for it." She said calmly but his face was blank, he wasn't even looking at her. He was looking inside the trunk with his hand on one carton and he hissed again.

"Elena, go." He retorted firmly and she picked her bag and went inside, the house was like a duplicate copy of the boarding house. She looked at the large living room with 3 couches in it and a Chinese rug in the centre. _Damon's obsession with rugs. _Their first fight after they became official was about his Indian rug that she split milk on.

She moved to the coffee table and saw a frame of Damon and her, he was kissing her cheek and she was grinning ear to ear. She took the frame in her hand and smiled softly as she looked at it. It was taken on her 23rd birthday; she didn't know he had framed it. She gasped and dropped the frame back when she heard him clear his throat.

"What are you doing?" he asked frigidly and she flinched.

"I was just looking around." She said shrugging. He took two steps closer to her and her body tensed.

"Look, I didn't offer to bring you here to have you snooping around in my house, okay?" he hissed and she nods. "Go upstairs; take the second room by your left." He said and she nods again.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome. I'd let you know when lunch is ready." He said. "Please make yourself at home." She smiles but it faded away when he finished his sentence. "NOT." He smirked and he walked away leaving her there as she breathed heavily. She looked at the fireplace and she can feel tears pricking in her eyes but she bit her lower lip and stopped them from falling.

She picked up two of her bags, well Jenna's bags. Hers was the smallest one, the two biggest ones contained Jenna's stuffs that she left in Mystic Falls, and she is taking them to her. But everything has to wait because of the interesting turn of events that happened.

_This is going to be one hell of a week._

.

_**So who likes? :D**_

_**Bad Stefan and Bonnie, I needed change. What do you think happened between the two love birds? **_

_**I don't know how long this story is going to be but I would try to make it as long as possible.**_

_**Please show me love with reviews.**_

_**Twitter: SmileForDE.**_

_**Xoxo**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sorry for the late update, I went for a little break. ;)**_

_**So I am making Katherine closer to Jenna than Elena, and Elena and Katherine are so close. **_

"_Now I'm tired of trying to keep you, all I want to do is sleep... But perhaps when I'm sleeping, you'll get back on your feet..." – Every time you go, Ellie Goulding._

Chapter 2.

She dropped her suitcase on the floor with a thud, she shrieked when the wooden floor creaked. She doesn't want to deal with Damon's rants anymore. He is a great whiner and she knew that more than anyone. She shrugged out of her thin sweater, folded it and placed it on the dresser.

She hadn't packed any thick sweater with her because she was hoping to borrow Jenna's cozy ones because she has hundreds of them. Thank god there was one sweater in Jenna's stuff from Mystic Falls, it would be a great help. She groaned as she fell on her back on the bed.

Katherine and Mason left Mystic Falls for Richmond on the day before Christmas, they were supposed to go together with Elena but Elena wanted to spend Christmas with Caroline. Their Christmas was stupendous and she enjoyed having Tyler and Caroline with her. They didn't judge her after everything that happened, they are her real heroes.

She slowly stood up and moved to the clean bathroom, it was filled with girly stuffs, it smelled girly. Her heart burned at the possibility of Damon having a girlfriend. She knew he swore off relationships since that Wednesday evening last year but he could have moved on.

Tyler told Caroline that Damon has been celibate since and Caroline told Elena, of course. She felt guilty, a confident man like Damon is not one to be celibate, it has been a year and eleven days since they broke up. Caroline didn't buy any of the celibacy thing but Elena did. It is hard to believe that a once man whore like Damon would swore off relationships and even sex because of one girl, Elena.

_22__nd__ February 2011._

Jenna, Alaric and Katherine were coming to Mystic Falls today. Katherine was Isobel Sommer's daughter, Miranda and Jenna's sister. Isobel died since Katherine was ten and Katherine half moved in with Jenna, they are so close and they couldn't be apart for months.

After Elena's parents Grayson and Miranda died, Elena was 22 and Jeremy was 17 but Jenna still took care of them even though she is also grieving the lost of her family.

Caroline had helped her prepare a room for her guests in the Gilbert household yesterday; they put the idea of cooking in the back of their minds because they were both horrible cooks. But Caroline being the saviour she is, she said she'll talk Tyler into cooking for the guests because Alaric was his buddy too.

She looked at her clock and see that it is only 7:45 am, she strip out of her pyjamas and slip in her yoga pants with a tank top, she grabbed her iPod and earphones as she stepped outside for early exercise.

For her, before a certain blue eyed Salvatore came back to town, morning runs distract her from reality. She would get drowned in the beauty of the music she was listening to but right now she can't focus. Not with Damon Salvatore coming into each and every thought of her.

She hadn't heard from both Stefan and Bonnie since that crappy Valentine's Day. She did hear about Bonnie though because Caroline smacked her in the face when she saw her at the grill. They used to be the powerpuff girl's before Bonnie decided overnight to turn into a 'bang your bff's boyfriend' kind of girl.

She came to a tree and she realised she had been running too much because now she is in the woods, a few minutes away from the Salvatore boarding house. She wondered if McDreamy still lives there because she knows his dick of a brother is not living there.

She stopped and pushed her back against the tree as she slid down and pulled out her earphones. She put her head on her knees as a fresh memory enveloped her thoughts.

"_Elena."_

"_Go away, Damon." She said her head still on her knees. She heard him sat down beside her and she rolls her eyes, he is so persistent when he wants to be._

"_What is wrong?" he asked._

"_Nothing." She hissed._

"_No, you don't wanna talk to me." He said in a cold voice, he was offended, she knew it but she didn't care. She was only 14 but she knows how she dislikes people with passion. She doesn't have a reason to be mean at him and she knew it. He was only a stupid 9 year old boy when he pulled her hair band and poked her forehead but she have no idea why she isn't letting go of that easily._

"_Yes, you are right. I would rather sit here and talk to this tree." She finally snapped her head up and looked at him with her bloodshot eyes._

"_Well, I just wanted to say goodbye." He said calmly. "I mean, I don't know why I am here but I think you deserve to know that I am leaving." _So leave, _her evil conscience said but she knew it was wrong. Where the hell is he going, and out of all the people he could say goodbye to, why her?_

"_Why are you telling me this?" she spoke to him in a calm way she didn't knew she had in her._

"_I told you I don't know."_

"_Where are you going?"_

"_Again, I don't know." He smiled bitterly. It has to do with his mum, they never got along._

"_When are you coming back?" she asked again, this time her hand reached out to touch his knee. He was surprised at the gesture but she didn't flinch._

"_I don't know again." he said and she laughed. "Now will you tell me why you are crying?"_

"_I kissed Matt Donovan and I don't like him. Now he is asking me out." Man, was that anger on his face?_

"_Damn it Elena, you are only 14." He said._

"_I am turning 15 next week." She declared but he didn't seem to ease up a bit._

"_Still, I am telling Miranda about this." He said and she shook her head like he wouldn't do it but she doesn't know Damon Salvatore, this is the only decent conversation they've ever had. "BTW, if you don't like Matt, who do you like?" he asked._

"_I am not telling you anything about my love life, Damon." She said. "It's not like we like each other." He shook his head and bit his bottom lip._

"_You don't have a love life, Elena. You are only 14." He said as he stares directly into her eyes. "Love is painful and overrated, you fall in love with someone only to find out that they will never love you back, how would that feel?" she shrugged. "That is what I thought." He muttered and they fell into a comfortable silence._

"_So who do you like?" he asked again and she giggled softly taking her eyes off him._

"_I might like your brother." He froze, he really froze._

"_I am running late." He said as he stood up and brushed his jeans off, she did the same. "Goodbye, Elena." He whispered and she caught him by surprise when she kissed his cheek. It was meant to be like that, they were meant to stay friends till he comes back but he went off and told her mum about the date and her mum stopped her from going. That is why she still despises him even though she is not with any of the stupid boys she might like once in her life._

"Elena?" his voice shook her out of her thoughts. Great one, Salvatore.

"What?" she said looking up at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked and she didn't reply him. She just looked away. "This reminds me of one of the best days of my life." He said as he sat down next to her smirking and she huffed.

"That was one of the best days of your life?" Elena asked as she cocked a brow. "Well, guess what? That was the worst day of my life because I trusted you and told you something I haven't told anyone before but you used it against me."

"Oh come on, Elena." He snarled. "You know I did it for you, look what it has gotten you through." He said. "You are not dating any of them, my brother cheated on you with your best friend after your 6 years relationship." He said bluntly. "I don't even wanna know what the other quarterback did." He hissed.

"Who I date and don't date is not exactly your business, Damon." She said as she stood up and brushed off the dust on her yoga pants and looked at him once again. "Stay away from me." She said as she walked away briskly.

She knew he was right, she hated that he is right. He knew what he was doing when he didn't want her to jump into a relationship with either Matt or Stefan, Matt was a drugging ass and Stefan is a cheating ass. But what she doesn't understand is why he is interested in her life, so suddenly. They hated each other, well, he once told her that he didn't hate her but she hated him, right?

It is more of a question to herself than him. She doesn't know why he cares about her life. He is not one to talk to when you have problems in your life but he always seems to be right when he say something. He had been helping her out since the day he cleaned off the blood on her eyebrow after Jeremy threw a ball in her face on her 10th birthday. He cleaned off the wound but she didn't thank him, she just walked away like it was his responsibility. He tried to help her when she bruised her arm in the swimming pool but then again, she yelled at him to stay away from her.

There is something about him that _infuriates _her. Caroline's voice snapped in her head _"When someone infuriates you, it is because of the sexual tension."_ No way, Caroline is a stupid blonde that doesn't know anything. _Yeah, keep convincing yourself about that_. Her conscience mocked and she let out a sharp breath.

"Elena!" Caroline's voice came from beside her. "What the hell are you doing? They will be here in two hours and you are not even ready."

"What is the time?" Elena asked rubbing her temples as Caroline reached to her and they walked back to Elena's house.

"10am dumbo. They called me just now to tell me that they are on their way." Caroline said as Elena opened the door to the house. "Your phone is going straight to voicemail, that is what Katherine said."

"Yeah, I was clearing my head so I left my phone at home." Elena said.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked as she feels Elena's head with the back of her hand and Elena rolls her eyes.

"I am fine..."

"Look, I understand if you want this whole dinner thing to go back to my house. I mean, if you are not comfortable here." Caroline said and Elena smiled at her friend, she is practically living with Caroline after her brother's death. It feels so weird to be in the house that is filled with the memories and laughter of her parents and brother.

"I swear I am fine, I should just go shower." Elena said as Caroline picked her phone to call Tyler.

"Hey, when are you coming?" Caroline asked.

"_I am just finishing up, with Damon's help. He is joining us for dinner." _Tyler concluded and Caroline gasped.

"I don't know how Elena will react to this." Caroline said. "Are you sure he wants to come?"

"_Yes of course, Alaric is his best buddy too." _Tyler said and Caroline shrieked.

"I don't know what to say." She sighed. "Just- don't be late, come here early."

"_Yes ma." _She giggled when he used 'ma' on her.

"Love you, bye." Caroline said as she hung up and jump into Elena's bedroom. She pulled out a red camisole and white loose jacket and a pair of white skinny jeans for Elena from the camisole.

"Man, I feel honoured." Elena mumbled and winked at Caroline when she saw her clothes spread on the bed.

"So you like?"

"Yes, I am going to wear them." She said and Caroline grinned.

.

One hour later, the doorbell rang and Tyler came in with the food. "Where is he?" Caroline whispered and Tyler shrugs. "This better not be a stupid dinner where he would make snarky comments and get away with it."

"What are you guys saying?" Elena asked as she folded her arms and Caroline smiled.

"Nothing, just checking why he came late."

"He is not exactly 'late'." Elena said. "They are not even here yet." She said as she grabbed the things from Tyler and kept them safely on the kitchen table, she went back to the living room and sat down with Caroline as they all watched SpongeBob, thanks to Caroline.

A few minutes later, they heard a car honk and Elena jumped to her feet. "They are here." She ran to the door and opened it and she saw them. Katherine, Jenna and Alaric.

"Kat." She screamed as she hugged Katherine.

"Oh joy, how much I miss this." Katherine murmured trying to get Elena's hair out of her mouth. "Umm, can you let me go; your hair is all over my mouth."

"Bitch." Elena smacked her head as she released her and run to hug Jenna and Alaric.

"Where the hell is that dick Stefan?" Alaric said seriously when Elena pulled back and she scoffs. "I am serious Elena; I am going to kill him."

"No, as much as I love the idea of killing him, I don't want us spending the rest of our lives in jail. With our baby." Jenna said.

"You are right." Elena started as she picked up a bag from the trunk but her head snapped back to Jenna. "Wait, what?" she asked confused.

"Jenna is 7 weeks along and I am going to be the godmother." Katherine said and Elena hugged Jenna giggling.

"OMG, I am so happy for you." She pulled back and kissed Alaric on the cheek. "Congratulations. And that bitch is not going to be the godmother of your child, otherwise that kid would spend the rest of his/her life partying."

"State the obvious. You don't even know who the godfather is." Katherine said and Elena knew it immediately, Damon Salvatore. He is Alaric's best friend and he was supposed to be the best man at his wedding but when he didn't show up, Tyler took his place.

"I don't even wanna know." She muttered and she saw Katherine smirking. Katherine had always insisted that Damon had a thing for Elena but Elena never let Katherine get to her head. There is no way on earth that a single forever man like Damon can have something for her.

"Still in denial, I see." Katherine whispered in Elena's ear as they entered the house.

"What are you talking about?" Elena said carelessly. She pretend not to know what Katherine is talking about; Damon has already started to get under her skin when he had just came back to town after 8 years.

"Oh Elena." Katherine said sarcastically rolling her eyes as she walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water and started drinking. She can hear Jenna, Caroline, Tyler and Alaric exchanging pleasantries but her eyes were focused on Katherine, trying to know what she meant by 'oh Elena.'

Katherine is definitely not one to talk to when it comes to relationships. She doesn't do relationships, after her mother's death, her father John married another woman and both John and her stepmother Mercy treated her like shit. That is why she practically lives with Jenna and swore that she isn't gonna let herself love a man. Even though John and Mercy are divorced, Katherine refused to go back to John and he doesn't seem to care.

"What is going on in your mind?" Katherine snapped her fingers in Elena's face.

"'Oh Elena?' what does that mean?" She asked and Katherine shook her head.

"Don't worry Elena, it's not like you are going to agree to whatever I say." She pats Elena's shoulder. "Are you gonna give us food?" she said frowning. "I am starving, I didn't eat anything today and it's almost 1pm." She gasped and walked away. _Bitch._

After a few minutes of chit chat and little gossips, they all moved to the table as Elena removed her jacket and served the food. Katherine sat on the counter because she had already eaten. She said she couldn't wait for them. After Elena served all of them, she took her own and went to sit beside Katherine.

"I want to eat more." Katherine pouted and Elena rolled her eyes, she was a foodie but she is nothing when it comes to Katherine. Thank god they are both skinny and works out a lot otherwise they wouldn't be as skinny as they are supposed to be.

"Well, I can't serve you food now." Elena said as she took a bite of her chicken parmesan. "Go and bring a spoon, we can share this." Katherine jumped off the counter and came back with a spoon.

"You know I can bet my virginity that you are not the one that cooked this." Katherine said with a small voice and Elena laughed out loud.

"Well, you are not a virgin so..." Katherine gave her a duh look. "Tyler cooked it." Elena said and Katherine smiled.

"Lockwood?" Katherine shouted and he looked up at her and she showed her two thumbs up. "For this amazing meal."

"I didn't cook it." He shrugged and Elena looked at him. _Motherfucker._

"Well, who did?" Katherine asked looking at Elena. She knew who did but she has to torture Elena with it.

"Damon." He said and Katherine's face broke into a smile. Elena dropped her spoon and her phone beeped that second. _Life saver. _She dragged herself off the counter and went to take her phone.

**One new message from Bonnie Bennett. **Elena hissed and dropped her phone again. "My ass." She mumbled.

"Let me guess, Bonnie?" Caroline said and Elena nods. "Stupid witch, she needs another slap." Caroline said.

"I agree with you." Katherine said and Elena sat beside her. "So I heard you met Damon when he came back." Katherine cocked a brow.

"Yes, I do." Elena said. "I didn't know it was him until he called my name and practically told me that Stefan is his brother."

"You met Damon?" Alaric asked silently and she nods.

"Where?" Jenna asked and Elena rolled her eyes.

"It was on that stupid night and I didn't know it was him." She said her temper rising slowly.

"What happe..." Jenna started and Elena threw her hands in the air and huffed.

"Nothing. I just got drunk and he took me to Caroline's. That's it." Elena said. And Jenna held up her hands in surrender.

"Come on, let's finish this food." Katherine said and Elena moved from the place and started gathering the used plates to the sink.

"I am okay." Elena retorts and they all fell into an uncomfortable silence, only Katherine dared to talk in a low voice that only her could hear.

"He didn't poison it, you know. He wouldn't want the mother or father of his godchild dead." She said but Elena ignored her completely and Katherine's shoulder slumped. "Let me help you." Katherine said after she finished and Elena smiled as she moved away and Katherine helped her wash the plates. "You shouldn't get angry on petty things like this, Elena."

"I know, I can't help it." She said. "I don't know why I get upset whenever I see him or his name is mentioned. I mean, I didn't even think of him since he left. And I forgave him for what he did but I don't like him."

Katherine smiled and shakes her head. "Okay, I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. I don't want to talk about him." Elena smiled. "His brother cheated on me and... whatever, are you talking to John?"

"Nope, there is nothing to talk about." Katherine said and Elena nods in agreement. John doesn't deserve a daughter like Katherine; she is everything he is not.

"Stefan is trying to get to me." Elena said as the doorbell rang. "Who can that be?" she said as she dropped the plate she is washing and washed the soap off her hands and move to open the door.

She opened the door and she swallowed the groan that comes to her throat. "What are you doing here?" she asked harshly and he just smiled. He _smiled. _Since when is he this soft? She asked herself and she remembered when he had a fight with Bonnie and Bonnie told her that she is the only one Damon is not rude to. How is that possible?

"I came to see Alaric and see how your aunt is doing with my goddaughter or godson." He said with his eyes boring into hers and she turned around leaving the door opened for him. He just smiled and strolled inside the house.

"Damon Salvatore." Jenna exclaimed with a big grin on her face as they all stand up and moved to the parlour. "You are coming back after 8 years?" she said. "I guess you missed your friend a lot."

"Yeah, but Ric visited me twice and we talked on the phone and Skype so much, right Ric?" he said as he pulled Ric into a manly hug. "Speaking of missing, I am sorry I missed your wedding." He said sincerely and Jenna nods.

"It's so good to see you in the flesh after three years." Alaric said punching Damon's shoulder and Damon laughed. "We have a lot of things to talk about." Alaric said and Damon shuddered.

"I know we do but not here please." He said knowing exactly what Alaric wants to talk about. "Congratulations Jenna." He said. "I am so honoured you give me the title of godfather for your child but isn't that too soon?" he smirked and Jenna rolled her eyes.

"I don't care." Jenna said.

"We gotta go." Tyler said as he wrapped his arm around Caroline's waist and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Where are you guys going?" Alaric said. "We are having a great time." He concluded as Elena and Katherine came into the parlour giggling.

"Are you going?" Elena asked and Caroline nods. "Okay, we are coming to your house tonight. Kick out your boyfriend before we come." Elena said and Caroline laughed.

"No way. I am so gonna be there for Girls' Night." Tyler said and Katherine rolled her eyes. "Damon, you really need to have a girls' night at least once in your life time. I enjoyed the one we have with Caroline and Elena last week." Tyler winked as Elena plopped on the couch nest to Jenna and threw a pillow at him.

"No thanks." That is what Damon said and his jaw locked. "So leave." He said with a smirk and they say their goodbyes and leave. "So, who is the godmother?" he asked and Alaric shot him a look.

"That would be me." Katherine said as she moved to where Damon is and they exchanged greetings. "You don't seem alright." Katherine said.

"I am." He opened his mouth and closed it. "I can remember the last time I was here." He said. "I came to see Miranda." He smiled softly "I pissed off someone though." He said silently and Katherine laughed knowing what he meant and Elena doesn't even look their way as she continued to read the magazine in her hand. "I am sorry for your loss." He said and she nods knowing he meant her mother and Elena's parents. Mystic Falls is a small town and they all used to be each other's family.

"Excuse me." She finally said as she dropped the magazine she is reading and walked off to her room. That is when they noticed that Alaric and Jenna have left the room too.

"Well, that was awkward." Damon smirked and Katherine shrugs.

"Yes it is. And don't say anything more because I know what you are going through." she said and he cocked a brow challenging her to continue. "You are in love with her, you have been since forever."

_End of flashback._

She must have fallen asleep; she opened her eyes to see Damon's eyes on hers. She quickly moved back and sighed.

"I knocked but you are not willing to open the door." He said with a snarky tone and she rubbed her eyes.

"I fell asleep." She murmured.

"Yeah, I can see that." He said. "Come on lunch is ready." He moved back and started walking away but he stopped when he saw two of her suitcases and he turned around to look at her. "You can use the closet." He said and she smiled.

"Thanks but they are Jenna's." She said. "They are not mine, I have only one bag." He shrugged and left the room without saying anything.

She entered the bathroom and turn on the tap, she sighed in relief when she realised the heater is actually working, that means electricity is working. It doesn't explain why he is using lamps in the house and not electricity.

She splashed water on her face and wiped her face with a towel and she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and she saw that the battery is drained. She opened her purse and grabbed her charger but she didn't know where the socket was. She moved downstairs and she saw him in the dining room.

"Umm, Damon?" he turned to look at her and she saw that he is not wearing a sweater and she forgot what she wanted to ask him. "Aren't you cold?"

"Why, you care about what I _feel_?" he said as he pressed on the last word and she blinked before moving closer to him and she saw his sweater on the counter and she took it in her hands.

"Please wear this. You must be cold." She said as she handed him the sweater but he stood up straight as he eyed the sweater before moving his gaze back to her face.

"I don't feel anything." He said with a smirk and she remembered when she used the words and a shiver went down her body. She dropped back the sweater and ran a hand through her hair.

"I wanted to ask you where I can charge my phone." She said.

"Well, you are not a fan of games so I guess there is no need to charge it because there is no network here."

"What?" she asked and he smirked.

"Anyway, I think you can find one behind the nightstand in your room." He said. "Rose changed the position of the bed when she came here last month." And she sighed, not because she knew where the socket is but because she knew that it was his cousin that was here not some other girl. _Drop this shit, it was a year since you used your hand and crushed his heart. You have no right over who he should or should not see._

"Thank you." She said as she sat down and he dropped a plate of macaroni and cheese in front of her. She smiled gratefully as he moved to sit across her. "How long have you been living here?" she asked and he shrugged.

"Five months, couldn't stay in New York anymore." He said and she nods because she knew the reason.

"It is good." She said and he looked at her.

"What is good?" he asked eying her up and down.

"The house. It looks a lot like the one in Mystic Falls." She said and he nods.

"Yeah, they were built at the same time I guess." He said and she nods as they eat their lunch in a comfortable silence. He can be really good when he wants to be. This is not going to be so bad.

.

_**Real cold Elena in 2012, right? Stick around to find out more. ;)**_

_**And Katherine dropped a bomb and I left a cliff-hanger in 2012? What do you think?**_

_**So many twist and questions right? You'll get the answers to all.**_

_**Who can guess what Elena did to crush Damon's heart? **_

_**Please review, they make me happy. :) **_

_**xx**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**So, chapter 3. Some of you are a little confused about the flashback(s). So this is how it works: the parts in italics are the flashback from when they were kids and the one that starts with dates are the ones before they break up. Xx.**_

_**Hope you won't be confused anymore. **_

Chapter 3.

She sat by the window in the living room after lunch and looked outside as the snow continued to fall wildly. She love snow because it always remind her of her childhood where they would spend hours with her friends and Jeremy freezing their hand as they built snowmen or had snowbell fights.

She watched as two lone birds flew around in search of shelter and food and she smiled. She remembered when they once went over to the boarding house and to play with Katherine, Caroline, Jeremy and Stefan. She couldn't remember why but Bonnie was not there with them that day. The memory hit her vividly.

"_Elena, Elena." Jeremy shouted and ran to her his feet sticking to the snow as he ran in the boarding house backyard. She stood up immediately and he ran into her making her stumbling and falling on her back as he lay flat on her face. She loved her brother and she doesn't care that her hair had snow all over it after he knocked her to the ground; she just propped on her elbow and looked into his big brown eyes that look like hers._

"_What happened?" she asked. "Are you okay; I told you not to get out of my sight. The snow is falling slowly but it will get wilder any time from now." She scolded and he shrugs._

"_I just thought it would be fun to knock you to the ground." He laughed like a girl and she rolled her eyes._

"_Yeah, that was really fun. Now get off me." She said as she pushed the eight year old boy away and she pushed her thirteen year old self to her feet. "Come on, go and find Stefan and Caroline. I'll be there later." He nods and he ran off as she turned around and saw Tyler sitting alone on one of the benches in the backyard. "Why are you alone?" she asked as she sat down beside him, she got along with Tyler really well._

"_I don't think I actually want to have fun but my mum can be really persistent." He sighed. "I told her I don't want to come but she pressed the matter."_

"_Well, you have a friend here." She said stating the obvious. _

"_So do you. But you are here and my friend is probably getting scolded by his mum." He said and she nods knowing that Damon's mum and him doesn't see eye to eye maybe because he was a freak. "Tell you what; I am going to run off into the woods..."_

"_No, absolutely no. The weather is not good."_

"_Now you are scolding me? I am 16 and you are only 13."_

"_That doesn't mean that my brain is as shallow as yours. You are not going to the woods and that is final." She said but he took off into the woods and Elena gasped. She sat there alone as the snow hit her face and she hears someone clear their throat._

"_I left Tyler here, where is he?" he asked. His blue-grey eyes filled with rage as he looked at her._

"_He took off into the woods, I told him not-" he ran into the woods too as she followed him, she turned back to see Jeremy playing with Stefan and Katherine and she sighed as she followed Damon. She doesn't know why she was following him, oh yes because of Tyler. "Tyler." Damon shouted. And she ran to where he stopped. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

"_I came to look for Tyler." She snapped back._

"_Go back, the weather is getting wild." He said and that is when she noticed but she just folds her arms and looked around. "Need I remind you that your brother is there?"_

"_He is with Caroline and Katherine; Katherine wouldn't let him get hurt." She said. "Tyler." She shouted as she ran further into the woods but Damon grabbed her arm._

"_Get out of here." He said through gritted teeth but she shrugged his arms off looking at him with a scrunched face._

"_Don't touch me. Who gave you the permission to care about me?" she said with a cocked brow and Damon hissed but he didn't reply her when they get interrupted._

"_Elena? Damon?" Tyler said as they looked at him and Elena sighed in relief._

"_What the hell were you thinking?" Damon snapped. "Running into the woods in this weather?" he said and he turned back leaving Elena and Tyler alone in the woods._

"_Come on, let's go." They followed Damon and they get back to the backyard as Jeremy came running to Elena._

"_Where have you been?" Jeremy hugged Elena and said with a crack in his voice as Tyler stopped looking at them and Damon did the same._

"_We were looking for Tyler." She said as she dragged him off her and starts walking away and Damon and Tyler followed them behind. "He ran into the woods."_

"_He is a psycho right?" Jeremy said and Tyler shouted 'what?' but Jeremy ignored him and continued walking hand in hand with Elena. "You said that whoever ran into the space is a psycho." He said and Damon chuckled behind them._

"_Yes he is." She said as she went over to where Jeremy played and took his scarf and tied it around his neck. _

"_Thank you." Tyler said. "For going to bring me here."_

"_Well, you are a psycho and psychopaths need help." She smirked and he rolls his eyes._

"_Very funny." He mumbled as Jeremy tugged on her hand and they moved into the boarding house. Tyler looked over to Damon and saw that he is still staring into the space she moved from. "You are dead, man." Tyler said slapping Damon's back. "You are having a crush on a thirteen year old girl that hates you?"_

"_I don't have a crush on her." Damon said confidently and Tyler stares ahead and started walking away._

"_Yeah right, ignore me. I am just a pathetic blind old man that loves butting into other people's business." Tyler said and Damon scowled as he walked into the house and saw Jeremy and Elena leaving with their parents._

"So is that how we are going to sit for a week here?" Elena asked and Damon refused to look up from the book he is reading. "Stop ignoring me." She murmured and he scoffs.

"Okay, I am not a comedian. You don't expect me to give you shelter, food and add entertainment on it, now do you?"

"Why are you being like this?" she asked again but he refused to look at her and he closes his eyes clearly irritated by her talks. "Damon-" but he cut her off by holding up a finger at her.

"Not a word." He said and she huffs angrily and walked away from the parlour to the room he gave her, maybe she is being too nice to him though. She did what she did for a reason, even though it was a stupid one and he doesn't deserve any of it, she believed that she needed space to sort out her crowded mind that time and she did. She would gladly concur if he wants to go back to what they were but he wouldn't. She knew it, he begged her not to walk away from him but she did.

_22nd February 2011, 8pm._

She walked down the stairs after her three hours nap and she heard giggles from the kitchen, Katherine.

She walked into the kitchen smiling but she stopped in her tracks when she saw Katherine and Damon making dinner. Katherine is good in the kitchen unlike her.

"Elena." Katherine smiled. "We were just finishing up dinner."

"I didn't know you would still be here." Elena said coldly at Damon and Katherine shifts her weight from one foot to another. Katherine had talked to Damon when Elena walked out on Damon and she has confirmed that he likes Elena even though he was head over heels in love with her. But he refused to admit it, hell nobody would. Seeing the way Elena loathe him, she didn't expect him to admit liking her.

"I told him to stay over." Katherine insisted.

"Good to know you are finally making a move on men, Kat." Elena smirked as she grabbed a bowl of grapes from the fridge. "But go for the better ones."

"Well, I didn't go for a cheating ass, that is even if I am making a move on men." Katherine snapped and Damon turned to the stove uncomfortably. It is weird seeing them my fight, he knew they never fight as kids and he noticed that nothing had changed between them; they still resemble each other slightly.

"Well, he is Stefan's brother. You don't know what he is capable of." Elena shoots back.

"He is here." Damon said through clenched teeth and she rolled her eyes.

"You think I care? I don't give a rat ass on what you think of me and you should do the same. I am just saying what I want to say."

"And you are being rude." Damon said as he turned around looking at her with anger in his eyes.

"So leave." She said with a smirk.

"I invited him." Katherine said and Elena's eyes snapped back to Katherine.

"It is my house." Elena retorts and Katherine folds her arms against her chest.

"That is not what you said the day I came to you after I have a fight with John, you said what is yours is mine and vice versa." _Damn her, _Elena's shoulder slumped as she grabbed the bowl of grapes and move back to the parlour.

Katherine is a first class bitch; she knows how to follow every possible way to win an argument. She didn't plan on arguing with her but she invited Damon to her house, she knew how much she don't like the idea of Damon but she still invited him to stay over. They were supposed to have a movies night after dinner but she is probably not going to enjoy that if Damon decides to stay until the night is over.

She groaned and grabs her phone from the couch; she left it downstairs when she went to have a nap. She deleted the message from Bonnie without reading it and she thanked God that tomorrow was a Sunday.

Another free day from work. And it is going to be the bonfire night of Mystic Falls, Caroline, Tyler, Katherine, Alaric and Jenna are all going and she is too. But that means she might breathe the same air Stefan and Bonnie did, or even meet them.

She flipped the channel to MTV and watched a few songs before she felt someone plopped on the couch beside her. It is Katherine, but she smelled of men's cologne.

"Why are you smelling like this?" Elena asked Katherine.

"Like what?" Katherine feigned innocence.

"Well, you smell of men's cologne, Damon's." Elena said and Katherine smirked. "You really are not into him, are you?" Elena asked.

"No, but I'd tap that shit." Katherine whispered and Elena grunts. "What, you jealous?"

"Eww." Elena retorts and Katherine laughs.

"You know you like me right?"

"I do."

"And you know you want to be the godmother of Jenna's child but you are too cool to admit it and you like me so much to not be happy for me."

"I do."

"You know he is hot right?"

"I do."

"And you know that deep down, you like him right?"

"I do." _Damn_. "Don't."

"Too late sweetheart." Katherine said as she stood up and went back to the kitchen laughing. She wouldn't tell Damon, she wouldn't dare tell him, she wouldn't embarrass her like that, would she? It was Katherine; you only get the answer if you are there when something happens.

Did she just admit that she finds Damon Salvatore hot? Yes, sure he is hot and you would be too fucking blind not to see it but she is not meant to see his hotness, or is she? She hates him right? That million dollar question that keeps playing in her mind since he came back to town.

She was right when she said she didn't think of him when he left town, sure his name comes in a conversation once in a while because he is not that close to Stefan either. But she just admitted that she like him and she finds him hot? So, what is the problem? Why did she feel like she hates him? Why did he infuriate her? _The sexual tension, _her conscience said and she groaned out loud.

"Umm, dinner is ready." Out of all the people that could call her to eat dinner, Damon came. Katherine must have sent him because Jenna and Alaric are up in their room doing god knows what, maybe having a hot pregnancy sex and suddenly she was horny.

"Okay." She mumbled and didn't turn to look at him as he let out a little laugh and went back to serve food.

"I am gonna go call Jenna and her husband." Katherine said in a high pitched voice and Elena scoffs. _Whatever you are planning is not going to work Miss Gilbert._ Elena thought and Damon's voice broke through her thoughts.

"So, do you like cold water or..."

"Yes please." He needs to stop being so nice to her. She is not buying any of it, he is an arrogant piece of ass and he would always be so he should drop the nice act.

"Look, Elena. For the longest time I have known you, I did two things to hurt you, well one since the other one is to protect you from your fourteen year old self." He sighed. "And you can't blame me for pulling out your hair band; I was just a stupid ten year old boy."

"Damon, you just need to understand that I don't like you."

"What you told your cousin ten minutes ago says differently." He hissed and she shuddered. He heard her conversation with Katherine.

"I didn't agree to you staying over to have you snoop around my conversation with my cousin and you know how that works; she practically put the words in my mouth." She said and his shoulder slumped.

"Fine, be that way." He huffed but he still gave her the water and walked away as Jenna, Katherine and Alaric came in.

"You bloody bitch." Katherine yelled silently and Elena smirked knowing what Katherine is saying, she heard her conversation with Damon and she is mad, this house needs less eavesdroppers.

"Hi guys." Jenna said as she threw her messy hair in a bun and Elena smiled.

"So you were 'sleeping' all that time?" Elena asked in a snarky tone and Jenna cuts off her yawn looking at Elena.

"Elena Alison Gilbert, I am your aunt." Jenna yelled playfully as Alaric laughed and he took the seat beside Jenna and Katherine slid into one of the horizontal seats which means Damon is sitting beside her. He casually sat down next to her not saying anything as they ate in a comfortable silence until Katherine opens her mouth.

"So you didn't tell us what happened with Stefan." Katherine said and Elena dropped her fork looking at Katherine pointedly. She saw Damon and Alaric exchanged looks and Damon shrugged. "And you told Jenna that you met a cute blue eyed stranger in the bar that night."

"Ahh." Damon smirked but Elena ignored him.

"There is nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is." Jenna said. "Tell us what happened, Alaric is your uncle, I am your aunt and Katherine is your cousin."

"That leaves the big elephant in the room." She muttered sarcastically and Damon smiled.

"Come on, Elena." Katherine pushed. "Just tell us, Damon is family." Katherine said and Elena rolled her eyes. "I mean, Stefan is his brother..."

"Okay, Stefan cheated on me with Bonnie, my best friend. It has been going on since seven and a half months, after my parents died." She said dropping her fork. She has never admitted it out loud that he started cheating on her a few weeks after her parents died, she told Caroline about it but she didn't tell her that it was a few weeks after her parents death.

"That bastard." Katherine muttered. "I mean no offence, Damon." She said waving her hand slightly at him and he smiled shortly.

"None taken, he is really a bastard." Damon said and Elena knew he meant it from the bottom of his heart because they never got along.

"And now he is trying to talk to me. He said he wouldn't let me break up with him because I can't live without him." She ran her hands through her hair. "I mean this is all frustrating, I learn to live without my parents, without my brother, why would he think that I can't live without him?" she said as her vision begins to blur with unshed tears. "It's not like..." she start as she realised a tear was about to fall and she stands up quickly. "I need a minute." She ran into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror above the sink.

She is not this person; she is not the one to break down because of Stefan. She splash water on her face and used the towel to wipe her damp face and she went back inside her room and sat down on her bed. She needs to get back to work; it takes her mind off things.

"Come on, I won't let Stefan get to you." Katherine said and Elena jumped because she didn't hear when she came into the room.

"God, Katherine." Elena sighed. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why can't you just knock?" she said and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Since when did I promise to knock when coming to your room?" Katherine said. "Now get up." She said dragging Elena's hand but Elena pulled away.

"I need to change this jeans, it's too tight." Elena said and Katherine knew she was looking for a way to escape the movie night they are going to have so she folds her arms against her chest.

"Go ahead and change, it's nothing I haven't seen before." She said and Elena huffed in annoyance as she walked out of the room and Katherine followed her with a smug smile on her face.

"What were you doing up there?" Alaric asked and she shrugged as Katherine came to her rescue.

"She got a call from her boss; she was on the phone since." Katherine said and Elena sighed in relief because nobody knew she broke down.

"Come on, you gotta choose a movie." Jenna said throwing her bunch of DVDs and she caught them as she sat on the couch across from Damon and crossed her legs looking through the movies. Her face lit up as she saw a not so old 'Ella Enchanted' and she held it up as Alaric rolled his eyes and Katherine squealed.

"Anne Hathaway, fuck yes." Jenna said and Alaric shuddered.

"Really Jenna? You are carrying a child and you are using swear words because of some crappy movie?" Alaric said and Jenna rolled her eyes ignoring him as Katherine collected the DVD from Elena and slipped it into the player.

"Well, um... I should be going." Damon said standing up but Alaric shot him a 'save me' look. "Ric, come on. I wanna show you something." Damon smirked and Jenna shot him a pointed look.

"As much as I am happy to see you, I don't want my husband getting drunk till I deliver my child." Jenna smirked and Damon's eyes widened a little. "He is off limits." She said and Katherine laughed.

"Believe me, I know." Damon said and Jenna nods.

"Silent everyone, it has started." Elena said as she snatched the popcorn bowl from Katherine and Katherine jumped into the couch with her and they cuddled.

"Oh god, free lesbian show." Damon said and Elena grunted and Katherine screamed.

"Damon. Now I know why Elena hates you." Katherine yelled and Elena ignored them but Damon shrugs.

"Believe me, nobody knows that." He said before turning to look at Elena and Ric stood up. "Not even Elena herself." He said silently and she didn't even move to acknowledge his presence and they all kept quiet and everyone stares at Elena. She knew what was happening but she pretended not to know, she gave an Oscar worthy performance before Alaric broke the silence.

"Umm, so let's go." Alaric said as Damon nods his head shooting a final glance at Elena before saying his goodbye to Katherine and Jenna as they walked outside.

"Damon, tell me it wasn't Elena that you called to tell me about her that night." Alaric said as they leaned against Damon's car and Damon sighs. "You were talking about..."

"I know what I said." Damon said breathing out loudly as he looked at the sky before running his hands through his messy hair.

"Did you know she was the one?" Alaric said and Damon nods.

"I called you after I dropped her off Caroline's house." Damon said and Alaric shakes his head.

"So you are _still _not over her?" Alaric asked again and Damon keeps quiet which gave Alaric his answer. "It is eight years, Damon. She still hates you, have you done something to her that she will not forget?"

"No, not that I know..."

"Well, maybe it is because of Stefan." Alaric said and Damon scoffs. It is so stupid that she will think he is the same with Stefan. He might be Stefan's brother but they share nothing in common. They don't even look alike.

Damon swore not to love anyone after he saw how rocky his parents relationship is, his father died of heart attack because of his mother, he didn't want to go through what his father did because of a woman but love doesn't knock on your door and ask if it is invited. It just happened, with the right or wrong person. In his own case, he knew Elena is right yet wrong but he couldn't help it.

He spent the last eight years in New York with his mum against his will, he tried to get over Elena at some point and it kind of worked. But whatever he built came crashing down the minute he came back to town and saw her in that bar, drinking her ass off because his brother cheated on her. He didn't even know that Stefan cheated on her a few weeks after her parents' death until today.

What he didn't understand is why Elena hates him, after her cousin tricked him into admitting he felt something for her he thought it is going to get easier but it didn't. Everyone knew that he loves Elena since she was 12 but Elena, and it sucks. It wouldn't get easier even if she knew because she hates his guts. He just need to move out of town again, maybe he would succeed in his mission-get-over-your-first-love. _Yeah, like it actually worked the last time you did._

"So, you are going to the bonfire tomorrow night?" Alaric asked Damon and he breathes sharply.

"Yes, maybe." Damon said and Alaric laughed.

"Okay, we'll talk tomorrow." Alaric shoots him a sympathetic look as Damon drove away and he moved inside the house.

_End of flashback._

"Do you need hot chocolate?" Damon asks Elena without looking at her after hearing her footsteps.

"Yes." She exclaimed coldly. With the way they are behaving with each other right now, the cold is definitely going to catch both of them more.

"Well, then help yourself." Damon muttered staring into his book. "You know where the kitchen is." He said and she nods walking into the kitchen as he stares into the place till she disappeared. He couldn't believe that this was the woman he once shared everything with, she is stronger than before. She is not the weak girl that let her fears overcome the love they had for each other.

"Do you want it too?" she called from the kitchen and he snapped out of his thoughts.

"No, thanks." He said shaking his head as she emerges from the kitchen and sat down beside him. _Beside him._ "What are you doing?" he asked looking at her as she curled her legs underneath her and taking a sip from the chocolate.

"Sitting." She shrugged and he rolls his eyes.

"I don't want you sitting here." He said and she ignored him as she took her phone from her sweater pocket and starts playing 'state of grace' by Taylor Swift. "Can't you see that I am reading?" he said and she shrugged.

"That has never stopped you before." She said and he groaned as he snatched the phone from her hand. "What the hell?"

"Look Elena, this is my house." He said firmly. "You don't get to do whatever you want and try to disturb me." He said as turned off the music and she snatched her phone back.

"I didn't offer to help myself." She said as she stood up and took her mug with her. "You invited me here, deal with it." She said as she walked away and Damon groans loudly and closes the book and goes to his room too.

..

_**So Damon called Alaric and said something about Elena? It will come up in the last few chapters.**_

_**And for a change, Damon didn't have a rocky relationship with his dad in this one but he does have one with his mum. **_

_**Have a great weekend.**_

_**Thanks for all the favourites, reviews and follows. **_

_**Please review. **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**This came pretty fast but I want to give you something before I disappear. xD **_

_**Apparently some of my friends here doesn't like really long flashbacks, I am sorry but I have to make them long to see how they build their relationship from hate to love and to break up.**_

_**We all want to know what happened to them, right?**_

Chapter 4.

"_This is me praying that, this was the very first page not where the story line ends. My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again..." Enchanted, Taylor Swift._

_31st December 2012._

Elena walked down the stairs with in her normal skinny jeans and red long sleeved t-shirt; they have been avoiding each other since the first day. Damon being the generous man he is (towards her of course) would call her whenever the meal is ready and she'll simply eat and thank him. Today, she was sick of Jenna's sweater, she had been wearing it since the day she came and she is sick of feeling it on her skin. Washing it is not a good idea because it wouldn't dry off easily.

She walked in the kitchen and saw him making breakfast; she stood there and admired the way he moved swiftly in the kitchen not even noticing she was there. She smiled softly as she walked to him and he stopped smiling at her. Is he really smiling?

"Good morning." She grinned and his face dropped as he turned around to the stove and she frowned. This is the first time she really decides to talk to him since she came and he is putting up those stupid walls of his.

"Why aren't you wearing your sweater?" he asked and she shrugged as she looks out of the window.

"The weather is better today." She said and he rolled his eyes. "I got tired of it, it is the only one I have. I didn't know I would be snowbound, I would have come prepared." He gave her that stupid look of his that said 'bitch please' and she frowned.

"You could borrow mine?" what he intended to come out as an offer came out as a question and she laughed.

"That is a really good idea." She said hopping on the counter and he remembered when he was 16 and Elena got into the snow and caught a cold.

"_Damon." Jeremy said and Damon rolled his eyes, little Jeremy is an expert in warning off people to stop hurting his sister. Damon thought he had come to yell at him for his fight with Elena when he threw a stone on their snowman and it broke. He knew he didn't do it purposely but he was relieved to know that Elena knew he wouldn't do it on purpose. They yelled at each other for a second and Elena goes back to Caroline and Katherine. _

_Their hangout spot is at the Lockwood's today. Even though they are not age mates with Tyler, Tyler's mum insisted to have the kids play at their backyard for the day._

"_What again?" Damon asked._

"_I need your help, its Elena." Jeremy said and Damon's head snaps up. _

"_What is it?" Damon asked and Jeremy continued._

"_They were playing with Caroline and Bonnie and they stuffed the ice in her shirt, now they are gone. It is only me and her and she is cold." Damon didn't listen to the end of Jeremy's rescue my sister story as he stood up from the bench he is sitting with Tyler and Mason, Tyler's cousin that lives in England playing monopoly._

"_Where is she?" Damon asked._

"_I left her trying to get some hot water from the maid in the kitchen. She wouldn't like it if she knew I called you." Jeremy said bluntly and Damon's shoulder slumped. That is Elena, he would help her every time she gets all damsel in distress but she wouldn't appreciate it._

"_She would have to deal with that right now." Damon muttered as he entered the kitchen and saw that she is fast asleep with her head on the kitchen table. He shushed Jeremy when he was about to say something and gently picked her up and told Jeremy to follow them, Damon got into the car he borrowed from his uncle Michael and drove to Elena's house._

_Thankfully her parents were not there when he dropped her and Jeremy off as he carefully laid her on the couch and move to the kitchen counter, he brought her cold tablets and put them on the table for her. Jeremy thanked him and Damon made him promise not to tell Elena that he was the one that helped them._

"_What if mum or dad asked?" Jeremy said warily, Damon hates the idea of letting Jeremy lie to his parents but it was for the best. Otherwise the next time Elena will see him, even if it is in the towns square, she is going to yell at him for, what? _Helping her.

"_Tell them that I was the one that talked Mason into bringing you home." Mason is one year older than both Damon and Tyler, they got along really well to everyone's surprise._

"_Fine, thank you." _

"_That is what you will tell your sister too." Damon said in a low voice as Jeremy nods and closes the door behind him._

It was a memory that she still doesn't know about it and he smiled at it, no matter what is going on between them right now; she is going to be his girl. The only girl he loved and still loves.

"Why are you smiling alone like a total psycho?" Elena asked and Damon frowns, it's not like they have seen each other since the last dreadful night in December. Why are they so comfortable around each other? Because they are Damon and Elena, and they never gets uncomfortable around each other no matter what, even when she was trying to convince herself that she hates him, they never get uncomfortable.

"Nothing, just a distant memory." Damon shrugged and Elena's eyes widened in amazement.

"Care to share?"

"Nope."

"Fine, be that way." She crosses her arms on her chest as Damon brought her a plate of pancakes and syrup and she smiled at him but he didn't return it as he moved to the parlour, how much she hates his stupid mood swings.

_23__rd__ February 2011._

"Seriously?" Elena muttered for the umpteenth time as she searched for her necklace, it had been around her neck yesterday morning. She removed it before she took a shower right?

"Now you are really starting to act like Caroline." Katherine murmured and Elena puts her hand on her hips as she glares at Katherine. They are going to the bonfire together and Elena is going nuts about some necklace. "What, you are starting to pick up her annoying traits by living with her. I mean we use to hate this 'seriously' thing but see how you are pulling it off perfectly." Katherine said and Elena stomped her foot as she walked out of the room.

"It is not any necklace." Elena said and Katherine raised a brow.

"Who gave you; you used to wear it all the time?"

"My mum, she said she'll tell me who bought it for me when it is the right time but the right time never came along." She said turning fully to look at Katherine's whose jaw is about to touch the floor.

"I am sorry..." Katherine said.

"Yeah, you don't know." Elena said as they walked out and drove to the bonfire, Elena looked around and caught sight of Caroline and Tyler when they were there and she jumped into the crowd making her way to them.

Caroline hugged her and Tyler kissed her cheek. "I was thinking when you are going to show up, gorgeous." Tyler said and Elena rolled her eyes. She is used to Tyler's flirting and even Caroline doesn't seem to mind them. He once kissed her when she was a junior and she slapped him. After that she was the one that apologised for slapping him because he was the only friend she had that is not her age. And she opened the door to flirting for him.

"Okay, what the hell is going on there?" Caroline asked as she stared off into a direction.

"It is Mason and Katherine trying to get into each other's pants, I will be damned." They all turned around to see Damon beside them. "When did Mason come back, and I thought Katherine liked me?" Damon said and Caroline cocked a brow and Tyler laughed.

"Well, it is Katherine. She doesn't do relationships." Tyler said and Elena touched the tip of her side braid looking at her feet not saying anything.

"That is exactly why I think we were made for each other." Damon smirked and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Why are you here exactly?" Caroline said cocking a brow as she realised he is trying to piss off one of them. "I didn't remember any of us inviting you here."

"Well, I don't know about you but I am a citizen of Mystic Falls." He said glancing at Elena as he took out something from his chest pocket holding it in front of Elena. "BTW, this is yours Elena." He said as she eyed the little box in his hand before looking at him with cold eyes.

"What is it?"

"I saw it yesterday after you walked away from the woods." He said as her face broke into a smile as she snatched the box from him and opens it, her necklace was there.

"How? I mean... thank you." _That was a first. _Damon grins. It was the first time she ever thanked him in her life after everything he did to her when she was a kid. She look at him and smiled again as she clasped the necklace around her neck and slipped the box in her purse.

Caroline cleared her throat and they all turned their attention to her "You didn't tell me you met Damon when you went running yesterday." Caroline said as Katherine and Mason joined them. "Is that why you were so angry and you said it is nothing worth mentioning?" Caroline said and Elena blushed in embarrassment as everyone said hi to Mason and Damon stepped back.

"I gotta go away before I hear something I don't wanna hear." Damon smirked, _ever so snarky. _"And Katherine, I am hurt. I thought you liked me?" he winked and she punched his shoulder as he walked away and Elena turned around walking the other way as her friends continued talking with their boyfriends, dates, whatever.

She grabbed a red cup filled with wine and she leaned against the tree staring into the fire as she thought of what happened just now. Damon picked up her precious necklace and boxed it for her. She treated him in any bad way possible but all he does is treating her with more good, he is nothing like her.

She gulped down the drink as she closed her eyes and huffs out a breathe; it just fell like a huge load was taken off her chest when she thanked Damon for the first time in her life. She feels so better about him, about her. She loved that necklace and whoever gave her that necklace must be someone that really loves her because it was the most beautiful and simplest one she had ever seen.

"Elena_." Nice one Bonnie Bennett, this was supposed to be a good evening without you butting into my business._

"Nice one Bonnie Bennett, this was supposed to be a good evening without you butting into my business." She didn't realise she had said it out loud until Bonnie's voice spoke up again.

"I am sorry, Elena." She said. "I think we need to talk."

"I think otherwise." Elena smirked. "I just need you to answer me one question honestly." Elena said folding her arms against her chest as Bonnie nods. "Have you been sleeping with Stefan since the month my parents died?" Elena asked and a part of her hoped that Bonnie would say no but she didn't.

"Yes." She said. "But-" Elena held up her arm.

"That is what I needed to hear, have a nice life going behind the people that trusted you with their life and cheating on them, Bonnie." Elena whispered as she starts to move but Bonnie caught her arm. "You of all people know that I am not violent but your filthy hands on me will make turn violent." Elena said and she released her instantly.

"Elena I thought a man is not going to destroy what we have?" Bonnie said annoyed and Elena looked at her pointedly before letting out a bitter laugh.

"Did you hear yourself, Bonnie?" Elena said. "You helped my boyfriend that I have been with for six years cheat on me and you are saying something like that wouldn't destroy us?" Elena laughed, she was delusional. Clearly. What is going on in Bonnie's head is not reality; she is living in another world. 'Cheatersville.' "I am telling you this for the last time. WE ARE DONE HERE." She said before walking to a bench and sat down; she got her mind off things for a minute as she watched people drink and laugh.

"Hello Elena." She heard that shrill voice in her ear. She turned around to look at him sitting beside her.

"Stefan." She said through clenched teeth.

"I have been trying to reach you since last week." He said with that snarky tone and she felt her gut clench, she could kill him right now but she wouldn't kill Damon's only sibling. _Wait, now she cares about Damon?_

"I know, I was the one ignoring you." She said without looking at him and he laughed loudly.

"You are my girlfriend Elena." He said and her head snapped up to look at him. She looked at his face for good ten seconds before she burst out laughing in his face. "What the hell?"

"Are you that dumb, Stefan?" she said suddenly serious. "Which part of I don't want anything to do with you don't you understand?" she said as she shrugged. "I don't blame you anyway; maybe the number of girls you fucked is fucking with your mind."

"Why don't you tell that to Damon?"

"Why are we talking about Damon?" she said glaring at him.

"I think the number of girls I fucked is nothing compared to his." Stefan said and Elena rolled her eyes, why is he comparing himself to Damon. Damon has never been in a relationship. His whoring around is kind of understanding.

"Well, Damon didn't cheat on anyone now did he?" she said as she slid her purse under her arm and starts walking away, she is going home. She scanned the place with her eyes for Katherine or any of her friends but they are nowhere to be found.

"And now you are suddenly defending him?" he asked and she ignored him as he continued. "Elena, you will always be mine whether you like it or not." He said through clenched teeth as he grasped her arm and she hissed. "You are mine; I took away your innocence. You will always be mine."

Unshed tears brim in her eyes as she heard what he is using to claim her as his, many girls let strangers took away their innocence, well she is among those girls since she hate Stefan with all her guts right now. A tear fall down from her eyes as she tried to shrug out of his grasp.

"Let go of me." She cried.

"No, you are mine." He said and she cried more as she realised who Stefan is. She had never seen this part of him when they were together.

"Stop talking to me like I am some possession, I will never be yours." She spat and he laughed evilly. "Let go of me."

"Oh brother. I never thought you would be this harsh." Damon smirked. "Now let her go. As she requested." He said but Stefan still held her and Damon used his hand to remove Stefan's fingers around her arm. "You are not this person, Stefan." Damon said in a tone that sounds like he is reminding him something as he saw Elena wiping her tears.

"You don't know me, Damon." Stefan said and Damon nods in agreement, that is what Elena told him when he said that. He was trying to convince himself that Stefan is a good man but he doesn't know how wrong he is.

"You are right." Damon said. "I don't know you. But I never took you as the type of person to go against a simple let me go, she didn't want you, why are you forcing yourself into something that is never going to be yours again?" Damon said and Stefan scoffs.

"You sound so sure." The younger Salvatore said and Damon smirks. "You are one to talk to. How many times have you gone against her simple 'stay away from me'." He said and Damon stares blankly into the fire. "How many times have you hurt her?"

"I am here. And he has never hurt me." She said with a cracked voice and all the Salvatore's turned to look at her surprised. "The only time that I thought he had hurt me is when he is trying to save me from people like you and I am just realising how right he is." She said as she looked at Damon who is still looking at the fire. "And I should have listened to him." She concluded and Stefan clapped his hands shaking with laughter.

"Congratulations, Damon." Stefan said. "You got the girl, after ten years of loving her, you finally got her." Elena's head snapped back to Stefan. What the hell is he talking about? Damon loved her for ten years; Stefan is just trying to cause a drama. She looked at Damon who is now looking at his feet and her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Damon didn't know that Stefan knew he was in love with Elena, he didn't expect him to blurt it out to Elena in this situation and he refused to look at Elena.

"Bloody hypocrites." Stefan said.

"I know you are trying to convince yourself about something Stefan because you are so selfish but you don't know anything." Elena said. "You don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh I don't?" he smirked as he looked at Damon. "Damon, tell her. Who gave this necklace to her mother to give it to her and begged her mother not to tell her?"

"Enough." Elena shouted. "You don't know anything you are saying." She cried. "You don't get to bring my parents in this conversation. You don't need to bring any stupid points because you are trying to prove something to yourself." Elena said but she knew there is a bit of truth about what Stefan is saying because Damon is quiet. And Damon never keeps quiet when someone is wrong.

"Oh yeah? Tell her Damon." Stefan said. "My grandmother gave us that necklace and she told it to give it to someone very special. It was with Damon and when he was leaving town, he knew he didn't have a chance with you because he is hopelessly in love with you and you are hopelessly in love with me, he gave it to your mother." Stefan said and soft tears fell from Elena's eyes. This is all too much for her to take in one night.

"I have never been in love with you. I have never loved you." She muttered. "Even if I did, I loved the person you pretended to be not a cruel monster like you." She hissed and Stefan laughs.

"Keep convincing yourself about that, sweetheart." Stefan sing songed. "You are mine, you will always be mine." He whispered in her ear as her shoulders shake with soft sobs and she slid down against the tree and cried in her hands. She heard his footsteps as he walked away.

When she finished crying, Damon was nowhere to be found so she gets up and started walking home. She is not going with anyone; she is not going to destroy anyone's night like hers so she sent her friends the same message saying she left home because she had a headache.

She starts walking with her arms wrap around her, this night is cursed. After getting so many confessions she wasn't ready to take and ones that she doesn't even know if they are true, she couldn't process anything.

She wants to think about what Stefan said about Damon being in love with her for ten years, he was just 15 and she is 12. And it was the year that they spend almost all their time around each other but they never talk, she will stay with Stefan and their friends and Damon will stay with Tyler and their other friends. A few conversations will lead them to talk to one another but nothing serious.

"_Love is painful and overrated; you fall in love with someone only to find out that they will never love you back." _Well she would be damned if what he said the day he was leaving town was directed at her.

Damon is in love with her.

Stefan said that and Damon never looked up to deny it, Damon gave her the necklace that his grandmother gave them even though there was never any chances of them being together. Maybe he gave her because he thought she was going to be with his brother forever and ever.

She turned to her side when she heard her name being called and she was Damon in his convertible camaro.

"Come on, let me take you home." He said as he stopped the car but she looked ahead and continued walking.

"I want to walk." She said and she cursed herself for talking without clearing her throat. He didn't say anything and she thought he had given up but she heard him beside her. "What are you doing?" she asked and he smiled.

"Walking you home, if you don't mind." He said and she stops. He turned around and cocked a brow "Well?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she said as she started walking slowly and he shrugs. "I have always been horrible to you since we were kids." She said with a cracked voice, she knew she had been hurting him but she never though saying it out loud will wreck her emotions the way it did right now.

He didn't say anything as they continued to walk and shiver went down her body as the air hit her bare arms, she rubbed her arms with her palms and Damon chuckled.

"I want to pull the whole hero thing and give you my jacket but I don't know if you'll like it." He said as he shrugs out of his jacket.

"No." She blushed. "Damon, leave your jacket on." She whispered the last part as he put it around her without listening to her. "Thank you." _That is a new record, twice in a matter of 2 hours._

"No problem." He sighed. "I never thought Stefan would turn out to be this person." He said looking at the sky and she scoffs.

"Yeah, people do change." She said. "Or they always have it in them." She said and he nods.

"But that is not Stefan." Damon murmured.

"And this is not you." She said softly as they climb up the steps of the porch and she turned to look at him. He is looking into her eyes with such intensity that she had to look away biting her lower lip. "Why do you give me this necklace?" she asked as she moved her hand to her neck touching the pendant with her finger tips.

"Because I am hopelessly in love with you." His confession caught her off guard but the tone he mocked in saying it made her laugh. "Seriously, I don't know. And I know you wouldn't accept it if I gave it to you, I told your mum to tell you when it was the right time but I guess she never got the right time because you never stopped hating me." He said and her mouth opened slightly and she looks at her feet.

"I don't think I have ever hated you." She said. "You just make me furious. And if you didn't tell me the real reason why you gave me this, I would be more furious." She smiled.

"Because I am in love with you." He said looking into her eyes as he put his hands in his pockets, the action making her stare down to his shirt that fits him perfectly. "And I know that I didn't have a chance with you and I know I would never love anyone as much as I love you." He said and that made her head snapped to his eyes and she knew he isn't lying, this is not the voice or eyes of someone that wants to get into your pants.

"So it is true?" she said and he nods. "But why?" she asked and he shakes his head laughing as he stepped away from the porch.

"Good night, Elena." He said and she stood there watching the direction he walked away as his figure grew smaller and he finally disappeared.

She sighed and walked to the flower pot and retrieve the small key from under the top, she opened the door and walked inside going straight up to her room. She fell to her back on the bed and let out a loud breathe. She reached for her purse and that is when she realised she is still wearing Damon's jacket. And she was happy to know that. She had been thinking of a way to find him and talk to him, she is definitely going to see him tomorrow after work.

_End of flashback._

"I am bored." Elena whined as she close the book she was reading and dropped it on the coffee table. "Seriously, don't you have like a laptop or something?"

"I do but I am not giving it to you." He smirked looking up from his book and looking at her and she pouted crossing her arms across her chest.

"Why?"

"Because I don't trust you with it." _Ouch. _That really hurts, but she didn't blame him. He didn't trust her with his happiness; his laptop might be the smallest thing on the list.

"Damon..." she started, trying to talk him into listening to her but she failed.

"No Elena. I know what you are about to say, I am not ready to take it." He said silently.

"Will you ever be ready?" she asked and he shrugs.

"I don't know anymore, Elena." He said and she nods. "My laptop is in my room, on the dresser. You can use it." He said as he stood up and moved to the kitchen and she jumped up shouting 'thank you' behind him.

.

_**Just so you know, this is not the end of Stefan. He is going to play a huge role in the future. ;)**_

_**Happy new month. xD**_

_**Crash ff's site my reviewing this. lol**_


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: about the flashbacks, there is still some confusion. So I am saying this again: the first part of a chapter is the PRESENT, the parts in italics is from when they were kids, the second part that starts with date is the PAST and the last part that starts from where I write **_**'end of flashback' **_**is also the PRESENT. That means the first and last parts are all the PRESNT. I hope you understand this. Feel free to ask if you don't and I can explain again.**

**And someone asks how many chapters I am going to end this story with, for now I am not sure but I know the least will be 15 chapters but I am sure it is going to be a **_**LITTLE **_**more than that**_**.**_

**Sorry for the long author's note.**

**Feel free to PM me about anything you don't understand or any suggestion. :') **

Chapter 5

"_**And I don't try to hide my tears, the secrets and my deepest fears... Through it all nobody gets me like you do." I'm only me when I'm with you –Taylor Swift.**_

Elena stopped the movie she is watching and looked over to the fireplace, there are no fire woods. Is that why she was feeling so cold? She sighed and got up looking around the house for fire wood but she didn't find any. She went up to Damon's room to ask him, his door was slightly opened and she poked her head in and saw him sleeping peacefully.

She sighed and turned to her room and pulled a paper from her purse writing a short note to Damon telling him that she is out to collect some fire woods. She tip toed into his room and keep the note on his nightstand. She walked to the parlour and took the jacket Damon had borrowed her and shrugged into it.

She walked outside and the cold hit her face, she considered going back inside as the snow continues to fall rapidly but she is trying to be helpful for once. Damon had been taking care of her since she came, even though he had told her so many times to leave (he didn't mean it of course), he had been treating her well. The least she could do to all of them is bringing them fire wood.

She starts walking to the left direction as she tug Damon's dark grey sweater around her, it smells like him. She remembered their conversation in the morning when she asked if he was going to listen to her and he said he don't know, which means he wants to but he is not ready.

She is going to let him take all the time he needs, as long as he is going to listen to her before she leaves. Her mind snapped back to Jenna and her family. They must be worried about her, Damon told her that there is network in the place and that it would come back when the weather calmed down. She tried every possible way to reach them but she couldn't.

She wanted to ask Damon if he is still in touch with Alaric but she knew it was a silly question, just because nobody talks about Damon when she is there, it doesn't mean that his friendship with Alaric is twisted.

She walked to a wood that has fallen down and managed to break little woods with her bare hands. She looked at her palm and saw how red it is, then she felt a piercing pain in her other palm and she hissed, she looked at it and saw that she had a little cut in her palm.

"_How did you let this happen?" A 12 year old Elena scolds Stefan as she tied a bandage around his wound. It was in the evening and they were all at the boarding house because a council meeting was going on and their parents had left._

_Elena, Katherine, Caroline, Stefan, Jeremy and Rose, Stefan's cousin were watching The Parent Trap when Stefan excused himself. He stayed so long that Elena decided to go and check out what is going on. She left the parlour and moved to the kitchen when she saw a bleeding and panicked Stefan._

"_I was just trying to open the drawer to get some candies and the wood cut my hand." Stefan said hissing a little and Elena scoffs._

"_It doesn't hurt that much right?" she said as she tried to cut the bandage but doesn't find a blade._

"_What the hell is going on here?" Damon asked as he strolled into the kitchen looking so shaggy. "Why are two twelve year olds doing _alone _in our kitchen?" Damon said and Stefan glares at him._

"_Find us a razor blade instead of standing there and being a creep." She murmured and Damon scoffs._

"_Why would I find you a razor?" Damon asked as he walked into the kitchen taking water from the fridge. "Now you need help from me, last week you didn't need my help when I was trying to teach you how to swim."_

"_I don't need your help, dumbass." She said. "I am trying to help your brother here." Elena said as she held Stefan's bandaged hand to the air and Damon gasps._

"_What happened?" he asked._

"_Would you bring that razor?" she asked and he turns around and comes back with a razor giving it to her. She took it from his hand without giving him a second look and he smiled and took off to god knows where._

She smiled at the memory as she took the firewood in her hands and starts walking back to the house. She was about to climb the porch when she tripped over a stone and fell on her back with a thud and her neck hit something sharp. She tries to get up but as she put her hand on the back of her neck and she felt something wet. _Blood. _She is bleeding, she is terrified of blood. Her eyes widened as she screamed his name.

"Damon!" and everything went black.

_27__th__ February 2011._

It was 3 days since she last saw Damon, and she couldn't get him off her mind. She kept thinking of what happened that night, the walk and the way he casually turned around and walked away after telling her he has been in love with her for ten years. She couldn't bring herself to tell Katherine because Katherine is definitely going to shout 'I told you so' in her face.

Jenna and Alaric are going back to Richmond the next day; thank god Katherine is staying this time around. She won't have to run off to Caroline's house at night.

Her head snapped back to the side when she felt someone plopped on her bed.

"Long day at work huh?" she asked and Elena nods.

"Yes, you can say that." She turned to look at Katherine who is breathing heavily. "What is wrong with you?"

"I invited Mason to dinner." She blurts out and Elena's eyes widened. Katherine has been seeing Mason since the night of the bonfire?

"Wait, are you telling me that you saw him more than once?" Elena turned over on her stomach and prop up on her elbow. "Whatever happened to 'no seeing a man more than once'?" Elena said with a smile, she was definitely happy as Katherine is starting to rethink about her stupid single status.

"That is what I am trying to ask myself." Katherine sighed. "He looked at me with those eyes and asked if we are going to meet again and I couldn't say no." She said. "He said he want to be my friend."

"Katherine, that means..."

"Fuck buddies. I know." Katherine continues. "I don't know what I was thinking, I just can't shake him."

"I don't know what to say." Elena said and Katherine glares at her. "I mean, Mason is a good guy. He was dating Jules when he moved back here, I am sure you know that, and then they broke up because she is not one for small towns. And Mason doesn't want to leave Tyler after Tyler's parent's death so he let her go."

"I am scared, Elena." Katherine said sincerely and Elena squeezed her hand.

"You are allowed to be." Elena said and Katherine said as they keep quiet for seconds. "You should give it a try." Elena said and Katherine nods.

"Whose jacket is that?" Katherine asked as she pointed to Damon's jacket that is on Elena's dresser. _Damn. _She didn't put it in her drawer when she woke up today. She slept in it yesterday and that is the first time she had slept in it. She did it because she was feeling cold, right? _Yeah but you have warm sweaters in your closet. _Shut up.

"It is Damon's." She said truthfully and Katherine jumped to a sitting position.

"What?" she said and Elena nods. "What is his jacket doing here?"

"Umm, he kind of... look I" Elena stammered lamely and Katherine huffs.

"You stupid cow, you spent time with Damon and you didn't tell me?" Katherine shouted as she picked a pillow and hits Elena with it. "I can't believe you." Katherine said when she finally calms down and Elena looked up.

"I don't know how to tell you this." Elena sighed and Katherine cocks a brow. "I sort of bump into Stefan at the bonfire."

"What! And you didn't tell me?" Katherine shouted angrily, this is exactly the reaction she expected whenever she planned on telling Katherine. "That asshole does not deserve to walk on the ground you walk." Of course, it is Katherine, over reaction is expected.

"You are over reacting." Elena said as she removed her hand from her face. "He kind of trapped me but Damon came."

"Aww, your knight in shining armour." Katherine giggled.

"I know right." Elena said sarcastically and Katherine frowns. "So many things happened that night and I don't know how to talk about them."

"Tell me." Katherine squeezed her hand.

"It turns out you are right." Elena sighed. "He is in love with me." She said and looked away. She thought this is going to make Katherine shout and dance but she didn't because this is reality.

"Is that what he said?" Katherine asked silently and nods.

"Stefan blurts it out to us, turns out Damon is the one that gave my mum that necklace to give me." Elena said breathing sharply and Katherine sighs.

"I don't know what to say." Katherine said. "I mean what do you think of the whole thing?"

"I don't know what to think about it. I don't even wanna think about it because I am feeling things I shouldn't be feeling." Elena said as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Things like what?"

"I don't know how to say them." Elena said and Katherine frowns.

"Elena, you can't live in denial forever. Damon loves you; you have to do something about it." Katherine said as she takes Elena's hands in hers.

"Something like what Kat?" Elena sighed. "It is Damon. I don't wanna feel what I am feeling for him. Think about it, whenever there is a bump in the road, he lashes out and I can't deal with that. I have enough problems in my life; I can't live with another heartbreak."

"But he is your safety net, Elena. You wouldn't want to admit it but you feel safe around him, he takes care of you even when you don't appreciate it." Katherine smiled. "You just need to accept that Elena."

She is right, Katherine is right. Damon is her safety net; he was protecting her since day one. He has never done something to hurt her, even if he does it will be because he is trying to protect her or he was just a kid.

"I'll think about it."

"Please give him a chance." Katherine said with an adorable puppy face and Elena smiled looking away.

"I'll think about it, Katherine." She said. "I just broke up with Stefan. It is not like I'll jump on the first guy that admits he like me."

"You are right." Katherine whispered. "Think positively, I need to get ready before Mason comes."

3 hours later, Elena brought out the lasagne from the oven and set it up with the rest of the meal on the table.

"Katherine." She shouted. "Someone is at the door."

"Two minutes." Katherine shouted and Elena rolled her eyes. Alaric and Jenna are in their room doing god knows what. When the bell rang in, she sighed and walked straight to the door. She was expecting to see Mason but a more lean and dark figure greeted her and her heart skipped a beat.

She opened her mouth to say something but she didn't find the right words so she closed her mouth and looked at her feet. She looked up again and saw him staring right into her eyes as she checked him out. He was dressed in a washed out jeans and a white shirt with a leather jacket on top. How many of those jackets does he have? His hair is messy and his blue-grey eyes were sparkling in the evening lights. She looked down to his lips and she almost leaned forward to kiss them but she didn't because of interrupting Katherine.

"What is going on here?" Katherine's voice snapped her back to reality and she looked at Damon's face to see a satisfied smirk on his face. She blushed when she realised he caught her ogling at him.

"Umm, hi." She murmured as he smiled. When he didn't say anything she shook her head and rubbed her clammy palms against her denim skirt. Wait, is she wearing a short skirt? Okay this got 100 times more awkward, it doesn't help that she is also wearing a blue halter top which was exposing her shoulders.

She felt like running upstairs to change but that will make it only more awkward and make her look like a stupid teenager so she went back to the table arranging the plates and she heard Damon and Katherine conversing. The doorbell rang again and no one made a move to open it.

"Katherine." Elena called out. "Answer the door." but silence welcomed her. "Katherine."

"Ugh, gimme a break." Katherine shouted as she moved to the door and Damon walked to Elena. She pretended not to notice his presence but her body was fully aware of it, she hoped he didn't notice how goose bumps appeared on her skin when he talked.

"Need some help?" he asked and she smiled.

"Thanks but I am done." She said as she dropped the last food flask and leaned against the table. "I didn't know you were coming." She folds her arms against her chest and he shrugged.

"Alaric invited me over, I thought he would tell you that I am coming. Sorry if that makes you..."

"No, it is okay." She smiled.

"Damon." Mason said as they walked to the table hand in hand with Katherine and Damon smirked. "I am really happy to get back here if it means I would get to see you all the time and be with this lovely lady." Mason said and Katherine blushes.

"Katherine blushes." Elena gasped. "Alert the media." They all laughed as Katherine mouthed 'bitch' at her.

"Elena, you look lovely." Mason said and Elena smiles as he kissed the back of her hand. "I wouldn't dare say that to the ice queen 9 years ago." He teased and Elena glares at him.

"I wasn't an ice queen." She argued and Damon chuckled.

"Oh you so are." He said and Elena bit her lower lip.

"Yes, she still is." Katherine quipped and Damon shakes his head eying Elena.

"Nope, can't say the same."

"Me too." Mason said as they all took their seats, Mason beside Katherine and Damon beside Elena. Elena felt like she was going to explode from all the heat that was going up her body but she felt better when they continued talking before Jenna and Alaric arrives at the kitchen.

"There is no way in hell I am going to sit so far away from my wife." Alaric snorts as he leaned against the chair and Jenna nods.

"You are right." Elena offered as she quickly stood up to get away from what she is feeling but Damon caught her hand and pulled her down, she was surprised at the gesture but Damon doesn't seem to mind.

"Let them be, maybe that will help them keep their hands off each other for a few minutes." Damon said and she nods dumbly.

Alaric sat horizontally from Jenna and they all ate the food making small talks. Elena stopped herself from talking because she was afraid she is going to make fool of herself.

"So Katherine, are you and Mason dating?" Alaric puts on his protective uncle voice on and Katherine choked on her drink as she threw Elena 'save me' look.

"Umm, who needs more water? Jenna?" Elena asked and Alaric looks between Katherine and Elena.

"Yes, thanks." Elena poured a glass of water for Jenna and she wasn't surprised when Alaric brought up the question again, whoever knew Alaric knows that he is not going to let go of that easily.

"Katherine, I asked you a question." Alaric said and Damon jumps to their rescue.

"It is such a shame that you are leaving tomorrow." Damon said. "I would stop by to see you in Richmond before I go back to New York."

Wait, what? He is going back to New York? Katherine looked at Elena and Elena stares down and continued picking at her food with the fork. Why is she upset? It is not like she has talked to him about what he said the other day or something. She waited for someone to talk but nobody did so she took her plate and moved to the kitchen.

She came back to pick the rest of the plates and she heard Mason talking Damon.

"Are you going to come back this time around or you are coming back only with grey hair and two puppies since you are team single forever?" Mason asked cheerfully and Katherine giggled.

"I don't know." Damon answered honestly laughing. "Maybe if I get a good reason to come back." Elena picked up his plate before looking at him and he refused to look into her eyes.

What the hell?

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Katherine shouted in a whisper as she followed Elena into the kitchen.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Of course, you won't be Elena Alison Gilbert if you don't argue; I don't even know why I am so hell bent on making you happy if you don't wanna be happy." Katherine snapped shaking with anger.

"I didn't say I don't wanna be happy." Elena soothed hating to see her cousin angry about her. "Calm down please."

"I am not going to calm down, Elena." Katherine laughed bitterly. "Sort your life out, it's so fucking obvious that you like Damon." She said a bit harshly and Elena flinched. "You need to stop being a freaking coward." Katherine concluded and left Elena staring at the space dumbfounded.

She knew Katherine is right, she is being a coward. She is stopping herself from being happy; she knows that Damon is not going to hurt her. But why does he scream danger? She feels safe around him but being together with him doesn't sound safe. She doesn't even know if he wanted to be with her, he might be in love with her but he spent the last 8 years without seeing her, he didn't even recognise her the day they met at the grill. He said that he still loves her but it doesn't mean he want to be with her. The whole Damon idea is not a good idea. She is not going to fall for it.

She turned and starts washing the dishes when she felt his presence behind her, his smell.

"It is official, you are stalking me." She joked and he let out a throaty chuckle.

"You can't say that. I am not exactly stalking you." He said as he moved beside her and took the plate she has washed and drops it on the dish drainer.

"Yes you are, you kind of showed up out of nowhere the day we met at the bar."

"The keyword being 'met'." He smirked and she frowned.

"Okay, the day you came back, then you showed up in the woods the day Ric and Jenna were coming back. Then you showed up when your psycho brother trapped me at the bonfire." She finished and he smiled.

"What can I say; I am your knight in shining armour."

"Oh stop it." She blushed. "So, have you talked to Stefan?"

"Nope, the bonfire was the second time I met him since I came back. He wants nothing to do with me." He said and she nods biting her lips.

He dropped another plate on the dish drainer and said "I have no idea who is this Stefan." She simply shrugged and he changed the topic when he realise she didn't wanna talk about Stefan.

"I never thought there would be a day that you'll listen to what I say." He said honestly and she turned to look at him smiling.

"Me neither. You must have done some spell on me." She beamed and he shakes his head and they fell into a comfortable silence. They finished washing the dishes and Elena rushed to her room and changed into her pyjamas.

"Cute PJs." He smiled and she blushed looking down at her black camisole and grey long pyjamas pants.

"Thank you." She said as they moved to the living room and saw Katherine and Mason making out.

"Get a room already." Damon hissed and Elena groaned. Katherine looked up and smirked at them.

"At least I have someone to make out with."

Awkward.

Elena shifted her weight from one foot to the other one as she bit her bottom lip, nice one Katherine. Damon put his hands in his jeans pocket and managed to ask.

"Where is Alaric and Jenna?"

"Packing." Katherine said as she pulled Mason up with her. "Let's go."

"Good night, Elena." Mason smiled. "I hope we'll do this again, it was nice seeing you." He said and she nods as she plopped on the couch. "Damon." Mason whispered before moving closer and whispering "Hope you planned on doing something to that crush you had because I know it is still there." Damon gasped and looked at Elena who is flipping through the channels; he slapped Mason on the back before muttering 'dick'.

"So where are you guys going?" Elena asked.

"I don't know but I know that we are not staying in denialville." Katherine said and Elena looked away unaffected by the insult.

"Ouch." She said before turning to look at Katherine who is still glaring at her. "I would love to see those big eyes on the floor." Elena smirked before turning to Mason. "Good night."

"Good night, Damon." Katherine said ignoring Elena's presence and Elena laughed.

"So, you twins are fighting?" Damon said as he sat down beside Elena and she laughed.

"Since when did I become twins with Katherine?"

"Have you seen you guys? You look like one. But it is kinda understandable since both your parents are siblings." He said and she nods. "I am sorry, about Jeremy and your parents."

"It is okay, it has been a while." She said silently as the television light shine through the unshed tears that fill her brown orbs.

"Yes, but it still lives with you. They are good people, Jeremy is a nice kid too." he said and she let her tears fall. This is so embarrassing, when people talk about her parents and her brother, she never breaks down. Why would she break down in front of Damon?

All thoughts left her mind as he pulled her to him and she happily obliged and let it all out. That is when she realised she has been bottling up many emotions, she cried when her parents died but she never really cried when Jeremy died. She did cry when he died in her arms at the hospital but after that she never cried and no one questions her about it.

"I am sorry." She said as she pulled back and rubs the small portion of her tears on his shirt. "God, this is so embarrassing." She hides her face with her palms and stood up to run but he caught her and pulled her back. This time she fell on his lap and none of them seem to mind.

"Hey, nothing is embarrassing." He whispered in her ear. "Everyone needs to let go once in a while and you do." He said and she nods.

"You should come back." She said and he froze. "From New York." When he didn't say anything she continued. "I mean if you want, if your mum will let you."

"She doesn't have a say in my life, Elena." He said and she nods in understanding. Damon's mother deals with drugs and used to be so heartless; she forced Damon to move back to New York with her after she was caught once which leads to his father's death. Stefan is her golden child so she left him in Mystic Falls with her sister because she knew her sister would take care of him.

"Where is she?" Elena asked and Damon hissed as she scramble off his lap and look at him.

"I don't know." He said and her face snapped up. "I moved out when I got admitted to NYU." He said trying to avoid the topic and Elena took the hint. "I should go." He said after a few minutes of silence and she nods removing her hand from his.

"When do you plan on going back to New York?" Elena asked and she mentally slapped herself for acting so desperate.

"Next week." He said simply as they walked towards the door. He stepped outside and turns to look at her, she refused to step outside and he chuckled. "Good night, Elena." He said and she smiled.

"Good night, Damon." She was about to close the door when he talked.

"I would come back, for you." He turned around to his car leaving her dumbfounded.

_End of flashback._

He ran down the stairs in frustration. Elena is mad, she is fucking insane. How dare she step outside that house in search of fire wood? Don't she know how to on the room heater? He was on the last step when he heard her scream his name and he ran out the door.

She was on the floor with blood on her neck and face.

"Elena." He said silently as he moved closer to her noticing the firewood beside her. He hissed as he picked her up and took her up to his room. Only a psycho like Elena would go out in this weather in search of something stupid like fire wood, he understands that she is bored but that doesn't mean she should get out. He gave her his laptop to keep her from getting bored but she still get out of the house.

"You are fucking grounded." He said as he dropped her on the bed and she winced. He walked to the bathroom and brought out the first aid kit with a towel and warm water. He moved back to the room and turned her around but she groaned and murmured something.

"Damon."

"Welcome back, danger magnet." He said sarcastically and she groaned again as she sat up and puts her hand on the back of her neck before she panicked again trying to pass out. "Whoa, slow down there." He said as he caught her.

"I, Damon... I am- I hate... blood." She cried as tears ran down her cheeks and Damon stared at her with wide eyes. Since when did she hate blood? She loves dressing people's wounds and suddenly she hates seeing blood? Who is this Elena.

"It's okay. I am going to clean it but it is going to hurt." He soothed as he stroke her hair with his palms.

"Just do it, I don't care." She whimpered. "I hate blood."

"It's okay, just focus. Don't try to pass out." He said and she nods letting out a moan when he pressed the warm towel to her neck as he cleaned the blood. "I don't remember you hating blood." He said as he tried to distract her.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She said dismissing the topic.

When he finished dressing the wound, he turned her to look at him and he saw her eyes filled with unshed tears. There is something she is hiding from him and he is going to find out.

"Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?" he asked and she nods.

"I... I-" a sneeze finds its way out and Damon groaned loudly.

"Fucking great!" he muttered. "Now you are cold. FYI, you are not allowed out of this room and we are not done here." He said as he walked out of the room.

..

_**xD**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Best review award goes to: bellax0xchristina and Cherriesandapples. **_

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love you all and please when reviewing, include at least the first letter of your name so I can thank you here. :')**_

_**And I am so glad to see that you understand the dates.**_

_**This chapter starts right where I left chapter 5.**_

Chapter 6.

'_Cause you've got me right where you want me, as a tsunami tide rolls over the landscape that we built a home in inside of our minds... –Speechless, Morning Parade._

"Tell me why the hell you stepped out of this house without my consent?" he ordered as he strolled inside the room with a bowl of soup and he dropped it on the night stand. He adjusted her cap on her head and the blanket as he sat down beside her.

"Do I need your consent?" she glares at him as her nose scrunched up and she sneezed again. He didn't seem to care because he once told her that she looked sexy with that stupid look on her face.

"Yes, I brought you here and you need to tell me whatever you wanna do." He snapped and she looked away.

"Fine, I left you a note."

"I know, and I read it." He said. "Why do you think we need fire woods?"

"The fire was burning low and I started to get cold. I checked everywhere and there is no firewood, that is why."

"Ever heard of room heater?" he said and her face fell. She had totally forgotten about room heater. She knows there is a room heater in almost every room of the boarding house but she never thought about it here.

"Oh." She said.

"Oh" he mocked rolling his eyes. "Eat this up." He gave her the soup and a spoon as she nods and started eat it. "Don't ever pull that again." he said silently and she looked up to see his dead serious face. "If you had fallen somewhere and not here closer, how do you think I could find you?"

"I am sorry." She said sincerely and he nods.

"Finish it up, I will be back later." He said and he moves out of the room and walked to the parlour as he turned off his laptop and plugged it to charging.

He sat down and continued working on his paper works.

_2 hours later._

He walked up to his room and he saw Elena quivering in the blanket. He rushed to her side and put his hand on her neck and he flinched. Her temperature was so high.

"Damn it, Elena." He hissed. "Why didn't you call me?" he asked but she couldn't answer. He adjusted the blanket before running to the kitchen cabinet and coming up with some pills.

"Elena, sit up." He said as he sat down on the bed and pulled her back to his chest. He gave her the pills and water as she took them down. "You are going to be okay." He whispered in her ear and she nods shakily. She kept whimpering and he didn't know what to do. Being the CEO of Salvatore Hotels is not helping him to play nurse right now. "What can I do to make you feel better?" he asked silently and she shakes her head.

"Don't move." She manages out. "Stay."

"_Mason, Elena will be here any minute to thank you for taking her home." Damon said and Mason stared at Damon looking confused. "Okay, look man. You know the girl despises my guts of living. If she comes to know that I was the one that take her home and not you, she is going to skin me alive."_

"_I never thought I would see this day, Damon afraid of a girl." Dick._

"_I am not afraid of her, I just..."_

"_Hi Mason." Elena said smiling as she walked up to them and Damon folds his arms against his chest. _

"_Hi Elena." Mason grinned. "So how are you feeling?" '10 points for that, Lockwood' Damon thought._

"_I am feeling better. Thanks for taking me home." She smiled and Mason lets out another mean grin as Elena looked at him suspiciously._

"_You are welcome." He winked and looked at Damon as Elena left with her friends. "Wow, Ice Queen." Mason muttered._

"_Tell me about it." Damon laughed and they walked away._

_._

_As they all sat in the Lockwood's mansion cinema watching spy kids, Elena sneaked out with Caroline. Damon saw them and followed them. Okay he didn't really follow them; he went out because he was bored too._

_He sat down outside the house and sat on the porch steps playing puzzle when he heard hushed voices._

"_I am not jumping off that thing." Elena said. "I can break my hand or something."_

"_Come on Elena, it will be fun. Better than that lame ass movie that is happening inside there."Caroline said._

"_No." Elena argued and Damon knew immediately that they are thinking of jumping off the abandoned building wall. He stood up immediately and walked to the place. He hides and he saw Caroline pouted as she sat down beside Elena and puts her face in her palms._

"_I am bored."_

"_Yeah, we better sit here than go back to that lame movie." Elena said staring into the space as she pulled out a book from her jacket pocket and started reading._

"_I have an idea!" Caroline shouted. "How about we fill our boots with snow and walk with them."_

"_What would be the fun in that?" Elena asked looking confused. _

"_The first person that falls will be the loser." Caroline pushed._

"_Okay." Time to make a move, Damon._

"_You are not doing that lame excuse of having fun." He said and Elena glares at him._

"_Watch me." She said. "Come on, Caroline." She started walking but he caught her arm and turned her around._

"_Cold catches you faster than a green light go, so you are not doing it. You are lucky that you got better because you were pretty hot yesterday." He blurted out._

"_How did you know?" Elena asked folding her arms against her chest._

"_Umm, Mason is my friend." He said and her shoulders slumped as if she is disappointed in something. "He told me, so please if you don't want him to be disappointed then don't play in the snow." He said. "At least not today."_

"_Fine." She said and he grins, she walked back to the house and Caroline followed her._

"_Ice Queen." He mutters._

"I know you were the one." She murmured. "You were the one that took me home, not Mason."

"So?" he chuckled.

"Why did you lie?" she asked. "You could have told me when we..."

"We were together?" he asked when her mouth doesn't seem to find the right words and she nods. "It doesn't matter, I had you."

"You never did it to get your way into my heart." She said choosing her words carefully and he nods against her hair. "Do you still love me?" she asked. _Damn, is she having a delusional high fever?_

"You never stop loving someone Elena; you only learn to live without them." He said and she sighed in relief.

"Good, because I still love you. I will always love you." She said silently and Damon froze not saying anything. He moved slightly and he realised that she had fallen asleep. He kissed her hair and moved out of the bed.

_1__st__ March 2011._

Elena walked into her house from work and she felt someone's presence. Jenna and Alaric had left and Katherine is not really talking to her, she is off to god knows where. She moved to the living room and saw John Gilbert sitting there.

"John!" she said and he smirked. She looked beside her to see if there is someone there but there wasn't.

"Where is my daughter?" John asked and Elena chuckled.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her all day." She said as she took off her heels and folded her arms against her chest. "So, Katherine is not here. Why are you still here?"

"I am here to tell you to stay away from my daughter."

"Excuse me?" Elena stared at him as she let out a mean laugh. "You still call her your daughter? John, you don't deserve her. I mean, Katherine is 22. She can make her own decision."

"That is why I want you to leave her so she could come back to me." John said as he took a threatening step towards Elena. Her heart started racing but she isn't going to back down easily.

"Are you high?" she swallowed a lump that comes up her throat. "What part of 'Katherine doesn't want you' don't you understand?"

"Listen to me little girl." He shouted. "You don't get to tell me what I should do with my family or not."

"Well, I am closer to Katherine than you are." She said. "She loves me and she hates you despite you being her excuse of a father." She spat and John slapped her across the cheek.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Katherine shouted as she rushes down the stairs and caught Elena by the side. "Are you crazy? You don't get to come to her house and tell her what to do. And she is right, I hate you and if anyone has a right over my life then it is her or Alaric or Jenna." Katherine shouted her eyes filling with tears. "And why didn't you show up when Alaric was here? Cowardice much? Now get out here before I call the cops. I won't be ashamed to arrest my excuse of a father."

He walked out of the house slowly and Katherine rushed to Elena.

"I am so sorry, I knew he was here but I didn't come down because I hate seeing him. I was in the shower when I heard your argument, I am sorry."

"It is okay." Elena smiled and Katherine frowns. "It is not your fault."

"Like hell it is." Katherine said. "I can't believe he is here to talk me into going back to him." Katherine said and Elena huffs out a breath and dropped her hands to her laps. "Look at what the asshole did to you." Katherine said as she touched Elena's cheek and Elena flinched.

"I need to shower." Elena said.

"You are not mad at me, are you?" Katherine looked at Elena with her big brown eyes, afraid of what Elena's answer would be. She sighed in relief when Elena bursts out laughing.

"I can't believe you." Elena said as she rushed to her room. She stripped and looked over to her dresser and Damon's jacket is still there. She smiled and jumped into the shower.

"Elena, I am going out. Don't wait for me." She heard Katherine called out and she answered her.

She got out of the shower and wore her bathrobe as she sat on the edge of her bed straightening her hair. She finished and she went over to her closet to pick out something to wear but she decides against it. It is already 5 pm, she is going to wear her pyjamas and find a nice movie to watch.

She plopped down on her bed again and took out her curler; it has been a while since she curled her hair. Since the first day she saw Damon after he came back to town. She curled each strand carefully and she laughed when she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't know why she is feeling so energetic to curl her hair in the evening when she has nowhere to go.

She touched her cheek where John slapped her and she frowned, it is till red. She heard movement downstairs. Katherine doesn't come back home this early, what if it is John? Maybe he came back to finish what he started. She walked downstairs carefully and she gasped when she saw who it is, she felt her heart soars when she saw him holding her teddy bear.

"When are you going to stop sneaking up on me?" she said and he smiled as he turned around looking at her.

"The door was..." his mouth hung open when he saw that she is wearing only her bathrobe "open." He finished as he continued ogling at her and Elena blushed deeply as he moved close to her touching her, her whole body heated when he moved closer to her.

She looked at him in the eye trying to read his eyes, she rubbed her palm against her bathrobe as her knees went weak under his gaze and he refused to let go of her gaze. His hand reached out to touch her cheek and she flinched. He took his hand back immediately running it through his hair.

"I am sorry." He said turning around. "I shouldn't have..."

"It's not you, Damon." She said and he turned around looking at her cheek and he noticed her red cheek.

"What happened?" He asked silently looking at her cheek.

"I hit my face against the bathroom door yesterday night." The lie rolled off her lips perfectly.

"Liar." Katherine said out of nowhere.

"Great, why are you here?" Elena hissed.

"I am sorry; I can see that I am interrupting something." Katherine smirked as she eyed Elena's bathrobe "I just came to take my credit card." She said as she took her wallet from the couch and takes it. "By all means, carry on."

"Katherine, tell me what happened." Damon said not taking his eyes off Elena's face all the time; Elena looked away when he stares at her with anger. _Dude, I am not the one that hit myself, _she thought.

"I am sorry, Damon. Mason is waiting for me." Katherine said rushing to the door. "She would tell you because I broke the ice." She blew them a flying kiss and left the room.

Elena turned to leave but Damon caught her arm and turned her to look at him.

"Will you tell me who did this to you?" he hissed and she winced.

"Nobody said someone did it." She said stubbornly as she folds her arms against her chest.

"Someone slapped you, Elena." He said, the words sounding bitter in his mouth. "I can see that, I am not an idiot."

"Okay, I will tell you." She said calmly and he calmed down. "I just need to change." She said and he nods in understanding. They are not going to talk if she is only on that bathrobe. They are going to do more than talking, that is if she let him.

"I like your hair like this." He said and she blushed as she ran upstairs and came down in her short pyjamas short and a red camisole. Damon looks at her and shakes his head as she brought him a cup of apple juice. The bathrobe is more decent than this. But she is only innocent because she didn't seem to mind.

"So who did this to you?" he asked as he dropped the cup on the coffee table.

"John." She said simply and he looked at her.

"John? As in John Gilbert, Katherine's father, your uncle?" he asked and she nods. "Why would he do that? Is he high or something?" Damon asked angrily and Elena flinched as she saw the anger back in his eyes.

"Calm down, Damon." She soothed. "He is not going to do it again." Elena said and he laughed bitterly.

"How can you be so sure, just look at your cheek." He said as he stroked her cheek gently. "He is so dead."

"You are not going to do anything." She said and he nods innocently. "I can't believe Aunt Isobel fell in love with him. She is the most innocent one among them." Elena laughed and Damon let out a throaty chuckle.

"Yes but Miranda is composed also." Damon said and Elena looked down at her drink smiling. "Jenna is the wilful one." He said and Elena laughed.

"One minute." She said as she walked up to her room and came back with his jacket. "Thank you." She said as she handed him the jacket but he refused to take it.

"You can take it if you want, I know you want it." He smirked and she blushed. "And that confirms my suspicions." He said as he pointed to her cheek and she took his hand in hers looking at him with a tilted head.

"You can't just give me your jacket, Damon."

"Well, you want it. And I have like hundreds of them." He said and she gasps. "Kidding, but I have a lot of them."

He would have them, she doesn't know what he is doing right now but he is definitely rich considering his father was rich. She wanted to ask him what he is doing in New York but she refused to make herself sound nosy and desperate so she put her head on his shoulder.

"When are you going back?" Elena asked silently.

"Day after tomorrow." He said and her heart slumps in her chest. Is she going to miss him? _What a rhetorical question. _

She is going to miss him for sure, she didn't think twice about him when he left town eight years ago but right now, after he confessed his undying love her, after she sleeps in his jacket for the last 3 days, she felt like he is taking a part of her with him.

"Come back soon." She said not worrying about how caring she sounds. When she felt him nods against her head and kissed her hair, she sighs in relief.

She might not be ready to take their relationship to the next level but she will be lying if she said she is not falling for him, just in a matter of two weeks. How did he manage to sneak his way into her heart after she loathed him for years? But the fact is she never hated him. He is... fuck it, she is falling in love with him.

"I can't promise anything, 'Lena." He said silently. "I will come back but I don't know when. I have some work to do in New York but I am coming back for you." He whispered. "Just promise me I will get some good news when I come back." He smirked as he tilts her chin with his finger to look at him.

She blushed, she really blushed. She know what he is talking about, he is asking her to give them a chance. And she planned on doing that when he comes back. She is going to give him a chance.

"I promise." She whispered and he smiled gratefully.

"Thank you."

..

_2__nd__ March 2011._

He walked into the grill in the evening to drink out his sorrows. He is going to follow the morning flight to New York tomorrow.

He came here straight from Elena's house, she was asleep when he knocked on her door but she was so kind to let him in and give him coffee. He said goodbye to her before calling Tyler and telling him he is going back. After they yelled at each other for seconds, they said their goodbyes and hung up. He glanced to the bar and saw John Gilbert.

"Great." Damon muttered as he walked to the bar and ordered a drink. He sat down and looked at John who is obviously drunk.

"John." Damon said grimly and John turned to look at him, well if right now he looks like crap he don't know what John looks like.

"Who are you?" John asked with a foul tone and Damon rolls his eyes.

"Damon Salvatore." Damon said simply with a smile on his face.

"Ugh, so you are still around?" John said and Damon shrugs. "Now why are you here?"

"Actually, I was looking for a clinic and I ended up here." Damon said sarcastically. "Have you seen one around here?" Damon looked at his both sides dramatically and John bursts out laughing.

"So you haven't changed?" John said and Damon smirks. "I can tell you are still that foolish boy who doesn't listen to a simple word. Tell me, where is your mother?"

"New York. Can't say where she is though."

"Negligence, I see. It runs in the family. I want to know..." he didn't finish his sentence as Damon collides his fist with John's jaw, a satisfied smile appearing across his face.

"That is for slapping Elena." Damon said as he stood up and moved closer to him catching him by his collar. "If you ever lay a hand on her, I will make sure you will not lay your eyes on her again because I am going to grudge them out."

"Is that a threat?" John asked his eyes full of shock.

"It is a promise." Damon said with a smirk and suddenly he felt relief washes over him knowing he has shown the bastard his way.

_End of flashback, 31__st__ December 2012, (night)._

Elena woke up and brushed her fingers against her forehead. Her head hurts but she feels better. She stretches out her hands moaning loudly as she swing her feet off the bed and stood up.

She was surprised when she didn't fell dizzy, she walks in the direction of the bathroom then she stopped. It is not the room she is staying in, it is Damon's room. He brought her to his room? She smiled mischievously and turned to his bathroom as she splashed water on her face and draw a bath. She used his body wash and shampoo and she knew that she smelt like him. As she wrapped his towel against her body, she totally forgot about how hard drying her hair would be.

She walked slowly to his bedroom and another problem hit her in the back of her mind, she has no clothes to wear and she is not stepping out of the room like that otherwise Damon is going to have different thoughts about it. He is going to think that she is seducing him which hadn't cross her mind since she came until now.

She walked to his closet and brought out one of his black buttoned up shirt and sweatpants. She didn't care if he is going to yell at her but she wouldn't risk leaving the room like that. After wearing the clothes, she sighed and walked down the stairs. Her stomach growled when the aroma of macaroni and cheese hit her. She happily moved to the kitchen and Damon turned around to look at her smiling. His jaw dropped when he noticed what she is wearing. _Here we go, _she thought.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled and for a second she thought about turning around to change her clothes.

"I uh..." she stammered as she fiddled with her fingers and he rolled his eyes.

"Why aren't you wearing a sweater?" he asked and she sighed in relief, he wasn't yelling because of his clothes.

"The one you borrowed me is stained with..." she couldn't finish and he cocked a brow.

"Blood?" he asked and her head snapped up to look at him. She cringed at the mention of blood and he wondered why. She nods shakily. "What is wrong?" he asked and she waved her hand dismissively and sat down on the counter. "Look, I understand if you have a problem with um... I mean, you can tell me anything." He pauses as if he is thinking of something that is going to change their whole lives. "We can just forget what happened okay?" he said and her face snapped up her eyes brimmed with tears. _Thanks to this fever_, she thought.

Is he really ready to forgive what happened? Did he mean it or he is just feeling sorry for her? She wanted to tell him why she did what she did but she is not strong enough. Her emotions are still fragile when she remembered what happened to her. She couldn't tell him because he is better off without her, she is nothing but danger. She wouldn't let Damon fall into the group of people that were hurt because of her.

"Really?" she asked as a single tear slide down her cheek and he moved slowly to her standing between her legs and wiped the tear. "Don't say this only because you feel sorry for me. What I did was unforgivable." She cried and covered her face with her palms and he chuckled.

"Elena, what you did hurt me more than you can imagine but I forgive you." He said and she looked at him with red eyes. "I am just not ready... to, umm-" _get back together with you._

"I understand Damon." She smiled. "I want to tell you everything. I want you to know everything but I can't tell you." she said and he sighed looking away. "At least not now." She whispered the last part and he stared into her eyes for a few seconds before he blinked and looked away.

"Fine."

"Damon-"

"Did you tell anybody?" he asked and she nods looking at her fingers. "Then why not me?" he snapped and she winced.

_Because it is going to kill you jackass._

"Damon please." She said as she cupped his face with her hands and it feels right. This is the first real contact they had since she came, he might have carried her to the bedroom but that is almost necessary because she passed out. She was surprised when he didn't shake her hand away. "I will tell you, I am waiting for the right time." She said and he rolls his eyes.

"One day, I am going to force it out of you." He joked and she laughed. "Come on, go and bring a sweater from my closet and I will take care of the meal." He said and she nods jumping off the counter.

As she entered his room, she remembered asking him if he still loves her before she drifts t sleep and he answered. He gave her a genuine answer: _"You never stop loving someone; you just learn how to live without them." _She blushed at the memory, she didn't know how that question came out but it did, maybe because she had been planning to ask him since her second day here.

..

_**John is a jackass. I know, I know. It is not a surprise though.**_

_**By the way, the song I used in this chapter is the song that played in 4x08 'does this feel wrong' scene. Speechless by Morning Parade. It is awesome. ;)**_


	7. Chapter 7

Special thanks to Miranda, Cherriesandapples, YAZMIN V, bellax0xchristina and EVERYONE who reviewed. I love you all.

Chapter 7.

"_And I'm not sleeping now; the dark is too hard to beat. And I'm not keeping up, the strength I need to push me." Lights, Ellie Goulding._

"Oh Damon, look." Elena giggled. "It is not falling hard today." She said and Damon chuckled not turning to look at her by the window, he had been on his laptop since morning and she didn't ask him what he's been doing.

"You are not going outside." He said simply. Knowing Elena, all this excitement might be about the snow not falling too hard and she wants to go out and build a snowman. The frown that appears across her face confirmed his suspicions.

"Damon, please." She begged and he shakes his head. It is best not to argue with him right now. "It is new year."

"I know." He said simply.

"Don't you have a way to celebrate it?" she asked as she marched over to him plopping beside him on the couch. "What are you doing?" she asked and she gasps when she saw him surfing the net. "Are you kidding me?" she shouted and Damon smirks.

"Damon, I don't know how the hell you got this stupid network but you didn't bother telling me so I could tell my family?" she huffed angrily and he held up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry princess-" _princess, _that is the only thing she heard and her anger fades away. That is what Damon calls her in their rainbows and unicorns days. "-they know."

"They know?" she asked in disbelief and he nods.

"Yup, I told Ric." He said but her death glare is still fixed on him.

"And he didn't say anything about talking to me? He didn't wanna talk to me?" she asked and Damon grins.

"Sorry. I think Katherine is covering both of your spaces." He said and she frowns and folds her hands against her chest.

"I can't believe you, Damon." She groaned. "And what makes you think that Jenna and Alaric are the only ones that deserve to know where I am?" she asked and she regretted asking the question immediately when his cold stare landed on her face.

"Well, aren't they?" he asked silently still staring at her with his cold blue eyes when she swallowed a lump in her throat and nods.

"Of course they are." She said and Damon's eyes moved back to his computer screen and they stayed silent for a minute. "So, how is work?"

"Great." He smiled. "I am just sending an email to Rose about some of the things they need."

"How is she?" Elena asked warily. Rose hated her, after her breakup with Damon, Rose came to spend a week in Mystic Falls and Elena and she didn't see eye to eye. She bashed Elena every single chance she got about how she breaks Damon's heart and so on but after a while she stopped. Damon must have talked to her.

"She is fine." He said simply as he continued typing.

"You know, I don't get how you do this. I mean, you own the place but you can go three months without going to New York? It is like 7 hours away." she said and he smiled.

"I just don't feel like it and why would I go? Rose is there, she takes care of things and we have enough workers and the money to keep it going. No big deal." He said and she nods. "You still don't understand do you?" he said and she laughs.

"Forget I asked." She dismissed the matter and he chuckled as he turned off the computer and braced himself on the couch not noticing how close they sat.

"How about yours?" he asked and she moved slightly tucking her feet underneath her body.

"It is fine." She smiled. "Being the editor in-chief and all." She said and Damon's eyes widened.

"No way, you are the editor in-chief of Mystic Falls Gazette?" he asked smiling in shock and she lets out a laugh at how amazed he sounds.

"Mh-mm." She murmured and he laughed as he looked into her eyes.

"I am not surprised. You deserve it." He said sincerely and she blushed.

"Thank you."

"_I hate Damon Salvatore. I hate him." Bonnie said as she walked up to Elena in the school hallway._

"_Oh, what did he do again?" Caroline said annoyingly. "You always complain about him."_

"_He practically pushed my face to the counter when I went to collect gram's pies this morning."_

"_The keyword being 'practically'." Elena said as she sat down on their lunch table and Bonnie stares at her in disbelief._

"_You are defending him too?" she huffed. "I think it is fine if Caroline did considering she have a crush on him but I didn't expect you to." Bonnie hissed._

"_I don't have a crush on Damon." Caroline said firmly which is the truth, she is used to defending Damon just to annoy her friends because they both dislike him but she is an innocent fourteen year old who has not start thinking about boyfriends yet._

"_Sure you don't." Bonnie murmured and Elena rolled her eyes. She needs to stop them because they can take this too far. _

"_Okay, Bonnie look. I don't have a crush on Damon." She said. "I am just sick of him being the topic of discussion every time we sit on this table. Let's give it a rest."_

"_I don't know why you guys are hating on Damon-"_

"_Yeah, you won't considering you have a-"_

"_Stop it Bonnie." Elena whispered sharply. "Why would you think she has a crush on Damon? She would have told us is she has, and what is wrong in it? You hate Damon, fine but Caroline likes him, she is turning fifteen in two weeks." Elena said and Caroline giggled at the mention of her birthday._

"_Just imagine if we could have a joint party but unfortunately yours is two months away." Caroline said smiling and Elena smiled back._

"_And for the record, I don't hate Damon. He is just not in the list of my top 10 favourite people."Elena said as she stared down at her plate._

"_Understandable, but you said it to his face the day they had a brawl with Tyler." Caroline said._

"_Yes, because Tyler is his best friend, he shouldn't have hurt him." Elena pointed out taking a bite of her meal._

"_But it was Tyler's fault." Caroline said and Elena rolled her eyes._

"_Okay, topic closed. No more boys' discussion or I would agree that you have a crush on him." Elena threatened and Caroline keeps quiet._

"Elena, do you need anything?" Damon asked but silence welcomed him as he realised that she is fast asleep on his shoulder, and her brown hair fell to his chest. He tucked her hair behind her ear and stared at her face. She is still beautiful, even more beautiful than he remembered. She might have a wrinkle or two on her forehead but it is normal and it didn't change how beautiful she looks. Her skin is so pale and her nose is red. He traced her lips with his thumb and she flinched a little causing him to take back his hand as he adjust them to a more comfortable position and they fall asleep in each other's arms.

It feels real and right.

_21__st__ March 2011._

Damon sighed and knocked on the large wooden door and waited for the owner to open it. This might not end well, he know that. It was his third week in New York and with the help of Rose; he has finished everything he needed to. The Salvatore Hotels went down after his father's death and his mother did nothing to bring it back on track instead she spent all the millions of money on drugs and alcohol. If it hadn't been for Alaric, his inheritance would be long forgotten by him.

After both their lawyers talked and sort out the inheritance, Damon got the Salvatore Hotels back on track before he went back to Mystic Falls. Some problems arise after he left and Rose called him that is why he left Mystic Falls.

His mind drifted back to Elena, he promised to go back to her after he sorts out everything. What bugs him is that none of them has one another's number. He wanted to ask Tyler about her number but he is not ready for 20 questions. Maybe that is what stopped her from calling him to OR she has changed her mind.

No way.

"Damon." He heard a cold voice and he inwardly thanked god that someone stopped him from thinking about Elena changing her mind. "Fancy seeing you here." The woman moved aside and he smirked as he entered the house.

"Thank you, Anna." He said as he walked and sit on one of the royal chairs in the living room. It is good to know that she still keep her house clean. Maybe that is the only trait he took from her, cleanliness.

"I am still your mother." She said through clenched teeth and he chuckled.

"Oh, that reminds me why I am here." He said as he leaned forward and looked at her as she sat down across him. "Even though you have no right to call me your son, considering I am just a lifeless swine to you because I refused to follow your ways, I am here for last warning." He sighed as he continued. "I am here to give you the last chance to repair this thing we call relationship."

She is still his mother, but he is tired of begging her to mend their relationship. She thinks of him as a man without backbone, she told him he wouldn't be someone if he carry on with his attitude to make everyone happy. He knew right that he wasn't the same person he was before. When he was eighteen, he never cared who died or who get hurts. But when he starts getting Alaric's mails every week, he changed. Alaric is two years older than him and Paul Saltzman, Alaric's father was his father's friend.

Paul died a year after his father's death and Alaric became Damon's friend after their parent's death and they helped each other get through their problems. Even though Damon took the help most.

"Have you seen Stefan in your short trip to Mystic Falls?" she ignored whatever he was saying and came up with a stupid question about his trip to Mystic Falls.

"I did. He is your son." Damon said bitterly and she laughed.

"I know he would never let me down, I know whatever he is doing will make me happy." She said laughing sarcastically and Damon hissed in anger.

"You think cheating on an innocent girl that loved him for years is going to make you happy?" he jeered. "And he even has the guts to say she can't live without him."

"Are we talking about that Gilbert girl here?" she smirked. "I know you always had a thing for her." She said and Damon shakes his head.

"You know what I don't understand? Why you bring me here with you instead of Stefan. I can see that you don't give a crap about me, why-"

"I thought you would grow a backbone when I brought you here-" she quipped and Damon groans loudly.

"Again with the backbone comments?"

"But you didn't, you jumped into NYU the first chance you got." She continued. "Damon, you can be a man if you put the world behind you." She said silently. "I am starting to think that you are not my child." She finally said it out loud and he can feel tears prick in his eyes but he didn't let them fall. He saw her cold hazel eyes staring at him and she didn't regret what she said, she have an evil smirk on her face and he knew that she said that to make him back down.

And she succeeded.

"You know what?" he said as he gets up. "The feeling is mutual, and I promise you this is the last time you are seeing me here."

"And I am officially happy." She cheered as he walked out of the house and walked to his car.

He couldn't believe she actually said that. They have had many fights, uglier than this one but she never doubts him being her son. She knows he is her son and she definitely wasn't high when they were talking, maybe she said that to get rid of him and she had succeeded. He has never given up on his mother but he promised himself this is the last time he is seeing her. And he never breaks his promises.

"Rose." He said silently as he answered her call.

"_Where are you?" _she giggled. _"You can't believe who walked into the hotel when I was walking out just now. It was Adam Queen and his wife Diana. Can you believe it? They got married like one week ago and right now they are in your hotel. Do you think they are on honeymoon? I wanted to walk and ask for autograph but I am like, hey I am the manager of this place. If he enjoyed staying he would want to see me before he left and-"_

"Rose!" he shouted. "Please take a deep breath." He said rolling his eyes as he started his engine.

Adam Queen is the number one singer on iTunes for two months for his latest single "My way home" and Rose likes him probably more than the way she love herself. She took a deep breath like he told her to before she giggled and continued.

"_I just can't believe it." _She sighed. _"Hey, are you free? I want to eat dinner at aquavit." _She said and he sighed. She is not going to take his new really well.

"I am going back to Mystic Falls." He said and he heard her stay silent for a few seconds.

"_Is this about Elena?" _she asked silently and he bit his lower lip. So just because he told her about Elena, now his whole world revolves around Elena. She had met Elena when she went to visit Mystic Falls and she bonded with Elena really well because she was her age mate.

"Rose, not everything is about Elena."He said in a convincing tone but he heard her bitter chuckle.

"_Of course it is about Elena, you have never left New York for Mystic Falls before but now that you get a chance with her-"_

"Rose!" Damon said harshly. He is not going to let her take this the wrong way, he just had a fight with his mother and he is not going to let Rose fight with him too.

"_No, Damon." _She shouted back. _"Let me say it. Why are you telling me this only now? You have never left me all alone here. Damon your work needs you right now. You are not going to skip work and leave. If you can leave me, fine. But you can't leave your work, you are on the front page of every newspaper in New York and now you are risking everything for some girl."_

"She is not some girl." He said silently and she laughed.

"_Fine, tell yourself whatever makes you sleep at night." _She said and he can hear the anger dripping in her voice but he didn't say anything.

"You are angry. I will call you when I am there, I am taking my car home then I will take a cab to the airport."

"_Okay, don't let the paparazzi get to you." _She said silently and Damon sighs in relief. Rose can be really bossy but when he gets so stubborn, she will let him be and guide him through the way and he loves her for it. He will fight with thousands of people that she loves but she will always stay by his side. _"You know I love you."_

"I know, I love you too." he said and she laughed.

"_I love my Adam Queen's playlist more though." _She teased and he barks out a laugh.

"Same here, I love my iPhone case more too." he said.

"_Have a safe journey and say hi to Elena."_ She laughed.

"Thank you." He smiled.

.

Elena sipped on her drink as she waited for Kol Mikealson to show his face at the grill. Out of all the places they can have a meeting for his huge article, he asked her to wait for him at the grill.

There is something about Kol that she doesn't like. Maybe it is the way he stared at her body every time he sees her or maybe it is the way he touches her every single chance he got. He flirts with her all the time but she doesn't like him one bit.

Right now her eyes are set on a man with gorgeous blue eyes. He had promised to come back for her but he didn't, she thought about asking his number from Jenna or Tyler but she brushed away the matter. He is gone for three weeks and he hadn't thought of sending a simple hi to her through Tyler or anyone. Maybe he had changed his mind, or he thinks that she is going to treat him the way she did before.

But it is unfair to judge her with her teenage mind, right?

"Elena, you look ravishing." She heard Kol says and she swallowed a lump that comes up her throat. She looked at him and saw that he has that disgusting smirk on his face.

"Let's get to work." She bit out and he smirked as he sat down across her and she refused to look at him in the eye. His brother Klaus treated Caroline like a possession, he watched her every move and judges the people she hangs out with. She is not judging Kol by his brother but she is judging him by the way he looks at her and every woman that passes right beside them.

"You are right." He said and brought out a file. "You know, this is really hard to get through. I mean I only make this type of articles like after two months." He said and she simply nods.

"So, who do you think it is best to focus on?" she asked.

"Well, I would have preferred to write it about a brunette like you but since they prefer a blonde, we can go with your friend." He smirked and Elena glares at him angrily.

"Don't think you can use me or my friend as bait to make this article work. This is my work, but what is personal is personal." She said. "Try and be professional, I mean if you insist on getting a blonde then your sister is one. Don't you think you can lure her into helping you?" she smirked as he looked away.

"I am not using my sister."

"Yeah, I am not using my friend too. I can quit this article and still have my position but I can't say the same for you." She said. "So concentrate." She said firmly and he looked back at her raising a brow.

"What is the topic again?" he smirked. "Oh right, How To Turn A Dumb Blonde Into A Smart One." He smirked and looks at Elena whose jaw is almost touching the ground.

"I quit." She said as she took her purse and get up. He knew right that what he said is not the topic. His whole family had their claws on Caroline after she broke up with Klaus and she is not going to let it happen anymore.

"I am sorry, Elena." He said as he followed her outside the grill. "I was joking." He laughed and she turned around.

"How dare you?" she said. "Just because you have a problem with Caroline, it doesn't mean that you can insult her in front of me and get away with it." She hissed. "Congratulations, I am sure this has cost you your job because this is your last chance." She smirked.

"Look, I know the topic is 'A Week With A Cute Blonde' but-" he didn't finish what he was saying as his mouth landed on hers. She was stunned at first but as she realised what he was doing, she pushed him off her body and slapped him across the face.

"You pathetic hog." She shouted. "How dare you bring your filthy whoring mouth near me?"

"What a prude!" he exclaimed as he scratch his cheek that looks red.

"You are going to regret this." She said as she walked away briskly.

_1__st__ January 2013._

Elena blinked and rubbed her eyes as she sat up to a sitting position, she looked to her side and gasped when she realised she had been sleeping on Damon's chest. He is still sleeping peacefully; from the way he looks she is sure he hadn't been sleeping well. She sat up and stared at his laptop, she thought of taking it to Skype with Katherine but she stopped. Damon is being nice to her, she shouldn't do anything to make it upset.

It will be just a few days before the way opens and she'll drive back to Mystic Falls or go ahead to Richmond. She was in the middle of her thoughts when the clock chimes, it is 7pm already and they hadn't prepared dinner. She stood up and went to the kitchen and think about what to eat.

Damon loves pasta, she is not the best cook but after being with Damon for 7 months, she had picked up little things. She pulled her sleeves to her forearm and started chopping tomatoes for the sauce. She heard footsteps behind her and she didn't flinch, she knew he is the one. After what happened with her when she stayed alone in her house, she never trusted empty homes.

"Move." He said but she stayed where she is, smiling. Damon thought of how easy it would be to move where she is, wrap a hand behind her head and kiss her. He ignored his dirty mind and pushed her away with his hip.

"What are you doing?" she asked feigning anger and he smiled.

"I am not going to let you cook." He said and she gasped as he picked her up and dropped her on the counter. His face fell a little when she giggled and he looked away, maybe he remembered that right now they are two completely different strangers.

She kept quiet for a minute and Damon turned on the cooking plate and put a pot on it.

"If you insist on working, go and bring the pasta from the cabinet." He smiled and she jumped down.

She brought the pasta and dropped it near him and leaned her back against the counter looking at him. She was about to say something when she heard a loud sound and she jumped as she looked out the window.

"We are doomed." She groaned. "It is going to rain, Damon." She pouted.

"It's not surprising, is it?" he said and she groans.

"As if the snow wasn't enough." She murmured. "When am I gonna get out of this place?"

"You hate staying here?" he asked silently not looking at her as he continued chopping the onions.

"No- I mean, it is not bad here but I feel like I am being a burden here." She said and he chuckled.

"You are not." He simply said. "I was the one that wanted to bring you here. I mean if I didn't offer to bring you here, those police men would have found a way." He smiled at her. "So calm down."

They make small talks about the weather and they ate dinner peacefully and started washing the dishes. She stared at Damon and saw how tired he looks. She caught his hand and rinses the soap off him and pulled him with her.

"Where are you taking me to?" he asked in disbelief as they entered his room and she pushed him to the bed. He started imagining things but his thoughts were cut off when she spoke.

"I am tucking you in." She said. "You look like you are going to fall anytime." She said as she pulled the blanket to his chin and turned away. He was trying to rip the blanket off him when she jumped on the bed and stopped him. "Don't do this. It is only two plates and one cup that is left. I will be fine." She said and he nods.

"Okay, good night." He gave up knowing how sleepy he feels. She smiled and walked out of the room.

She finished washing the plates and off the lights and walked up to her room. She brushed her teeth and silently went to bed thinking about how Damon had adjusted to her living with him and he doesn't want her to leave. Damon is a big softie, she knows that and she is thankful for it. She practically lied to him and broke his heart by not telling him the truth of something he deserves to know.

She jumped in the bed when a lightning flash across the room, she pulled the blanket over her head but it is like the thunders are happening under the blanket. She remembered the night of the 'incident', it was raining and her blood covers everywhere. She shuddered at the memory and jumped out of the bed and makes her way straight to Damon's room.

She stumbled in and Damon immediately on the light.

"Elena?" he asked and she moved to his bed.

"I can't sleep, the thunders and-"

"Have you been crying?" he asked and her eyes widened as she touched her cheeks. She didn't even know she was crying till he talked about it. "Come here." He said and she crawled slowly to the bed and pulled herself to him.

"I am sorry." She murmured and Damon stayed silent in confusion, what is she apologising for?

"It's okay." He said as he lay down and pulled her with him and they fell asleep in each other's arms, again.

.

_**A little sneak peek of what happened to poor Elena, huh?**_

_**I know. We are getting there soon, it will come in the 4 last chapters.**_

_**I love you and your reviews. ;)**_


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you bellax0xchristina, Madz and guest (which I am pretty sure it is my bff Zaynab.) I understand your writing and your nicknames everywhere. To all of you writing exams, I wish you all the best.

P.S: this chapter is going to make you happy before the angst starts pouring in. ;)

I am not good in writing angst but my fingers are aching to do it. I just have to.

Chapter 8.

"'_Cause all I know is we said hello, and your eyes look like coming home, I know is a simple name and everything has changed... all I know is you held the door, you'll be mine and I'll be yours, I know since yesterday everything has changed." Everything has changed –Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran. _

"Good morning." Damon said as he saw Elena sat down beside him on the couch. He looked up to see her distant eyes and his heart slumped in his chest.

"Hey." She mumbled as she played with her fingers. "I am sorry I woke you up last night. It was-"

"Did you sleep well?" he cut her off as she nodded and his face broke into a huge grin. "Then it is worth it." He soothed as he put his hand on her knees, she flinched at first but she wrapped her hand on his squeezing it a little. "You should eat-"

"I am not hungry." She said again and Damon glares at her.

Why is she acting so distant? He had heard her murmuring unreasonable things in her sleep but he didn't ask her, if she wanted him to know she would have told him. When she murmured his name in her sleep he simply pulled her to him and keep whispering 'I am here' in her ear and she fell back to sleep.

"Too bad you are living in my house and I give orders here." He smirked and she pouted as Damon stood up and brought her a mug of mochaccino and bread with peanut butter. She accepted it but she didn't eat. "What if I told you we are going to build a snowman since the weather is a bit okay today?" he smirked and her face lit up.

"Sure." She said as she took a bite of her bread and moaned. She opened her eyes and she saw Damon giving her that look he used to give her a year back. She missed it, he has never looked at her that way since she came and she knew for a man like Damon, he is being an extremely gentleman. "Did you do this?" she asked as she took a sip of the mocha and he nods.

"The bread or-"

"Everything." She said smiling.

"Yup."

"You have never made bread for me before." She pouted and he laughed silently as he looked back to his laptop. She realised what she said and she shook her head when he didn't answer. "Forget I asked you that." She said.

"Elena, why are you having nightmares?" he asked and her face dropped as she dropped her mug on the coffee table. "It's okay if you don't wanna tell me." He shrugged and looked back to the screen, he was hurt. She can see it in his eyes but there is nothing she can do about it.

"Damon, I promise I am gonna tell you someday. I am not ready to-"

"How many years is it going to take you to get ready?" he snapped. "I mean, it has been a year, Elena." He said and her mouth hanged open. "Don't think for once that I have given up on you, Elena. I never did. I was only giving you space to sort your head out but it seems like you are going to take forever. I can't wait any longer, Elena. I know you want to say it out loud to me. What is stopping you?" he whispered the last part and he saw a tear dropped to her knee but honestly right now he could care less.

"I know whatever it is happened before 18th December but Elena, don't you think I deserve to know?" his voice automatically softened as a loud sob escaped her mouth.

**He was wrong.**

He was fucking wrong. he hate seeing her cry, when he first saw her in the car the day she got stuck, he promised himself not to let himself get drowned in her again but it was impossible. He had loved her for twelve years; it is not like the feeling is going to get away anytime soon. He gently pulled her to his chest and she wiped her tears.

"I am sorry-" they said in unison and a laugh escaped their lips at the same time.

"Damon-"

"Elena-" they said at the same time again and Damon smiled as she pulled back. "Fine, you go first." He whispered.

"Damon, what you are asking for is going to crush both you and me." She said. "I am not sure if we can live with it. I am not sure if I can live with it if I let myself remember what happened that day."

"It is okay." He murmured. "You just came back out of nowhere, Elena." He whispered. "I moved on, I really did but I am not sure if I will be able to move on again if you leave me this time."

"I won't." She whispered as she put her head on his shoulder and he sighed as she intertwined the fingers. "So what about that snowman."

"Man, I shouldn't have made that promise. I have other ways of making you eat you know." He smiled as he pulled her to her feet and up to his room. He pulled out another sweater from his closet and gives her.

"What, the snowman is going to wear a sweater?" she giggled and he frowned.

"No, you are going to wear it."

"But I am already wearing one."

"I won't let you get sick again, now wear it before I change my mind about this whole snowman thing." She did as he said and he smiled as they walked out of the house hand in hand.

"_What the hell is wrong with you?" Tyler shouted as Damon walked out of the house and hit a stone with his leg. "It is your freaking birthday and your mother was just trying to make you happy."_

"_I don't care about it Tyler." Damon said. "I am better off without her." He said and Tyler stares at him in disbelief._

"_What the hell, Damon? She is your mother. Your mother!" Tyler shouted. "You need to respect her. Nine months in her womb, Damon. Nine fucking months." Tyler said and Damon scoffs._

"_Coming from you, Tyler." _

"_My relationship with Carol is different-"_

"_So is my relationship with Anna." Damon said silently._

"_I am just being a good friend." Tyler said and Damon glares at him._

"_Well, this is not exactly what I expect from you when I started calling you my friend." Damon said. "I thought you are supposed to have my back at everything."_

"_Not when you are disrespecting your mother." Tyler bit out and Damon huffs._

"_Enough Tyler." Damon said firmly. "I am getting really angry and you know it doesn't end pretty." Damon said and Tyler took a threatening step towards him._

"_No, it is not." Tyler said as he stood few inches away from Damon. Damon looked at him up and down before he threw a punch right in Tyler's jaw. He felt guilty immediately when he saw Tyler bleeding but he didn't shudder, he just hurt his best friend._

_But Tyler was being a hypocrite, he has the most strained relationship with his mother and here he is trying to fix Damon and Anna's relationship. He heard her voice behind him and he groaned._

"_What the hell?"She said as she pushed him away and makes her way over to Tyler and put an arm around his shoulder. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Elena shouted as she stared at Damon. "Now you are hurting the only person that can stand you?" she said in disbelief as she used her sleeve and wiped Tyler's nose. Ever so good, Elena._

"_I don't care who likes me, Elena." Damon said. "I don't give a rat ass about what anyone thinks of me."_

"_You are right; you shouldn't care because nobody likes you. Everyone hates you, including me." She bit out and he shrugged as he turned away and walked away from the house._

"_It was my fault." Tyler mumbled and she glares at him and dropped her hand off his shoulder._

"_But that doesn't mean he should hurt you, you are his friend." She said and he scoffs._

"_Yeah, he told me to stop but I hassle him." He said and she stares at him in disbelief. "I should go apologise."_

"_I am done here." She said as she walked away from the house too, Damon caused a drama on his birthday that everyone was invited. She doesn't have a reason to go back inside._

"I got you." Elena said as she caught Damon and pushed him to the ground on his stomach. "How dare you destroy my snowman?" she said as she took the snow in her hand and pushed it inside Damon's shirt. He let out a groan as she sat on his back right where she put the snow.

"You iniquitous woman." He groaned as he flipped them over and takes the snow in his hand. She giggled as she felt her back rest on the snow "this is what you want right?" he asked. "Feeling the ice all over you?" he said silently and she smirked before she threw a handful of snow on his face and pushed him away from her and ran away.

She went over to where they built the snowman and picked up her scarf. She gasped as she felt a cold arm snaked around her waist and she turned around to look at Damon. Her gaze drifted down to his lip and she bit her lower lip to suppress a moan. He stared at her lips and used his thumb to remove a little drop of snow from her lip; he hissed silently and crashed his lips to hers.

She finally let her moan out as she pushed herself closer to him and wrapped her arm around his neck playing with the hair on his head. She gasped a little as Damon scraped his teeth against her lip and the memories starts coming back to her.

Blood. Glass. Rain. Snow.

"NO!" she shouted and pushed him back. "No no no." She whispered to herself and closed her eyes.

"Shit!" Damon mumbled. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have let that happened." He said and she gasped as she realised what she did. She pushed Damon away when he was kissing her, the kiss she had been enjoying.

"Damon-"

"I know. I am sorry, it shouldn't have happened. I won't let it happen again." he blabbed to himself before turning around to the house and Elena ran behind him.

_21__st__ march 2011 (night)._

Elena walked in to her house silently as the cab dropped her; Katherine was probably spending the night at Mason's house again. She hissed lightly as she climbed up the stairs and entered the bathroom immediately. She brushed her teeth and brushed off Kol's ghastly taste from her mouth. She hissed again.

She had been getting vibes the minute Shane told her she is going to help Kol write his article. Kol is the monthly writer of the entertainment's column but he was never serious. This was his last chance and he ruined it for good. She was getting tired of his dissipated and licentious look every day, she was happy that she won't have to deal with it anymore.

She is not one to hate on someone to even hope them getting unemployed but in the matter of Kol, he deserved it. She was not the only one that hates him, even Amy and Dana, the girls they worked together always complained about him. She is sure that they are going to throw a party if they heard about him getting fired.

She slipped into her pyjama shorts when the doorbell rang, it is probably Katherine that decided not to leave her alone and came to spend the night at home. She thanked god because she didn't want to sleep, she needed someone's company. She walked down the stairs and peeked through the hole and she saw him standing with his arms crossed against his chest.

She opened the door immediately and threw herself at him. Was she overreacting? She had missed him, there is no doubt about it but she was sure her face is going to turn red the moment she pulled back and he gives her that cocky smile.

Wait, why didn't he hug her back? Did he change his mind? Her heart fell as every part of her body shouted no.

"Who is he?" he asked his voice raspy dripping with jealousy.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes. She grimace when she saw the look on his face, he looked like someone had slapped him across the face.

"I asked you a question, Elena." He bit out. "I didn't come here to have you stare at me all night." He said harshly and she shuddered.

A month back, Damon is not going to talk to her like this and get away with it but right now, all she **wanted** to do is to wipe that look off his face and replace it with a happy one.

"Who?" she whispered in confusion and he sneered.

"The guy at the grill." _Well, shit._

"You saw that?" she asked in disbelief and he laughed bitterly.

"You didn't expect me to, right?" he asked. "What happened to the promise you made?" he shouted and she reached out to touch his shoulder wanting to calm him down but he shrugged away. "I knew it; I was a fool to think that you would actually have a thing for me. Rose was right after all."

What the hell? His cousin has been planting false thoughts about her in his mind? He turned away to leave and she shook her head and called out to him.

"He forced himself on me, okay?" she shouted and he stopped but he didn't turn back. "He is a wretched soul that thinks the only way to apologise was to kiss me." She said as he turned around and walked to her. "Don't worry; I didn't let him do anything I swear." She whispered and he stared into her eyes. The anger on his face was so much more than before, his eyes were red and he was practically shaking with rage.

"He forced himself on you?" he asked. "Who is he?"

"Don't worry, he-"

"Who is he, Elena?" he said tightly and she cringed at the harshness in his voice.

"Kol Mikealson. His family had a thing against Caroline and I couldn't stand him talking bad about her." She said quickly. "We were supposed to write an article together but he keeps hinting at Caroline and when I said I quit he followed me outside and-" he silenced her with a kiss, he don't want to hear. He can't stand the idea of anyone kissing her and not him. He pushed her to the door and it opened as they stepped inside and she wrapped an arm around his neck.

"I don't wanna hear." He murmured as he pressed a kiss in the corner of her mouth. "I don't. You are mine, only mine." He whispered and she shivered at his words and she kissed him again.

"I am yours." She agreed. "All yours."

"Good." He said as he kissed her again and kicked the door closed with his leg and she pulled at his collar catching him in a searing kiss, she was surprised when he didn't reek of alcohol. When she heard how he talks when she opened the door, she was afraid that he has been drinking too much.

She felt her back pressed against another door and she realised it was the room downstairs, Jenna's room. She opened the door with one hand as the other one stayed in his hair. He pulled back breathing profoundly and she looked at him surprised.

"What?"

"Elena, if you are not sure. I can-" he started but when she cut him off with a kiss, he knew she wants to. She wants what he wanted.

..

Elena woke up from her deep slumber with a moan and rubs her eyes. She stretched her hands as the cold air hit her body. Wait, is she naked.

"Sorry, should have closed the curtains when I woke up." She heard a voice and her head snapped to the side as Damon walked in with a tray in his hands. _Damn, she slept with Damon. _She smiled and clutched the bed sheet to her body as she gestured for him to turn around. "What, it is nothing I haven't seen before." Damon quipped but he still turned around and she clicked her tongue in a teasing tone.

"And he is back; he has got what he wanted." She smirked and Damon turned around as she wore her tank top and he caught her and pushed her back to the bed.

"Don't talk to me as the third person." He said in a warning tone and she smirked. "You know I am not letting you go now that I got you." He whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe and she shivered.

Last night has been the best night she has had since her parent's death. When she found an angry Damon on her doorstep, all she wanted to do was make him happy and she succeeded in doing that. He did tell her that it is the best night of his life before they drifted asleep.

"Damon." She moaned as he pressed tiny kisses on her neck. "I need to go to the bathroom." She said and he sighed as he plopped down to the other side on the bed.

"Better hurry up." He said. "I don't want these pancakes getting cold before you eat them." He called as she entered the bathroom.

After 5 minutes she emerged from the bathroom and walked to him as he pulled her to his lap and leaned his forehead with hers.

"I am happy." She murmured as she pressed a kiss to his eyelid. "I am happy to be with you."

"Now you know what you have been missing out on." He smirked cockily and she rolled her eyes and smacked the back of his head.

"Don't be so cocky, I can run off and find a hot guy you know." She said and he shrugged.

"I don't think there is someone that deserves that term in this town." He said as she gets off his lap and pulled the tray closer to her. "I mean, this crappy little town is filled with guys like my brother..."

"Can we not talk about him today?" Elena pouted and he cocked a brow.

"I wasn't talking about him but your wish is my command." He waggled his brows and she smiled as she took the first bite of the pancake.

"Oh my God." She murmured with a full mouth. "This is like the best pancakes ever." She said and he smirked. "I am done eating food outside; you are my personal cook from today."

"Your wish is my command, my lady." He bows down and she puts the pancake to his mouth.

"Come on, let's eat this." She said and they ate the food together. Elena opened her mouth to say something when someone barged into the room and they both jumped from their position.

"Katherine." Elena said as she took in Katherine's appearance, for a fashion freak like Katherine, she wasn't supposed to look like this.

"This is just great." Katherine threw her hands up in the air. "You have enough problems; I don't have to add mine to the book." Katherine finished as she flashed out of the room and Elena looked at Damon.

"I am going to find out what is going on with her." Elena said as she swing her legs down and Damon nods in approval as she ran to the living room and saw Katherine sitting down with her chin in her palms.

"What's up?" Elena said as she plopped down beside Katherine and puts her arm around her.

"You slept with Damon." Katherine stated the obvious and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Yes I did." Elena said. "Now tell me, what is wrong with you?"

"Mason said he is in love with me." Katherine sighed and Elena's jaw dropped. "I don't know what to think about it, I don't want to be-"

"You don't want to be with Mason?" Elena asked silently and Katherine shook her head quickly. "Then what are you trying to imply?"

"I don't do relationships remember?" Katherine said and Elena rolled her eyes. "He can't love me, and now... he is upset."

"What did you do?" Elena gasped and Katherine shrugged.

"I told him that I don't know what to say and don't want..." she stopped mid sentence as she leaned back against the couch. "He told me I am being a coward and then he walks out on me."

"You know he is right." Elena said and Katherine glares at her. "What, it is the truth; we both know you love Mason." Elena said and Katherine wheezes as she looked at Elena with a shocked face.

"I don't love him."

"Yes you do." Elena said. "Otherwise, you won't be looking like someone who is in need of comfort just because Mason walked out on you." Elena said and Katherine shook her head using her palms to hide her face.

"I wasn't supposed to love him." She said. "I shouldn't love him."

"Yet you do, because you know it is right." Elena said as she squeezed Katherine's upper arm. "Not every man is as screwed as John or Stefan." She said and Katherine burst out laughing.

"That reminds me, did Damon tell you that his fist had a good romance with John's jaw before he left town?" Katherine said and Elena gasped.

"He didn't hit John." Elena said and she heard Damon chuckled from the doorway.

"Yes I did and you have to forgive me for it." He smirked and Elena shook her head as Damon walked over to her and pulled her to him on the couch and Katherine excused herself to take a bath before meeting Mason.

_1__st__ January 2013._

"Damon, I didn't mean to." Elena called out as Damon rushed up to his room.

"Yes you did, Elena." He said as he turned around to look at her. "I was a fool to think that you are going to love me after a year. I mean, I am the only one who is cursed to love you forever." He said and Elena hissed at the insecurity in his voice. He never thought he was good enough for her; she shakes her head as she moved closer to him.

"It is not you Damon. Please understand."

He is being too harsh, she is trying so hard but she can't blame him since she still doesn't have the guts to tell him what actually happened. He is right to suspect her on everything. She moved closer to him and gently tugs his collar and wraps her arm around his neck as her fingers played with the nape of his neck.

"Damon, I promise." She whispered as she brought her lips closer to his. "It is not you, we are okay. You are okay." She said and he looked into her eyes trying to read the truth, she nods as she pressed her lips on his for a few seconds and looked back into his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked silently and she nods with a full smile on her lips.

"I just kind of lost it."

"Whatever it is that happened to you was not good, Elena." He said without hesitation and looked into her eyes as she nods. "I am worried. It still lives with you."

"I am safe with you." She murmured as she put her head in the crook of his neck and he kissed her hair. "Don't be worried, it is gone. I am sure, we don't need to worry. Nothing is coming back. It has been a year." She said and he nods.

He is worried and every loving boyfriend- _boyfriend? _Is he her boyfriend now? He sighed and thinks about asking her but it is not the best time but he has to make it really fast. The roads are going to open anytime soon because the weather is getting better and Elena will be gone. For good.

For bad, for him.

...

_**So it happened in both the past and present. You like? **_

_**Tell me if you do, thank you for your incredibly awesome reviews.**_

_**By the way, I am going back to school soon. The updates in this and my other story are going to get a little bit late. I am sorry but I have to adjust to my life outside the internet. Have a nice day you all. :')**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.

_3__rd __January 2013._

Elena leaned her head back against the headrest of Damon's car as Damon drove them to her car. The roads had opened and Damon has successfully convinced her to stay for two more days before going to Richmond. She had talked to Katherine, Jenna and Caroline on phone. Nobody asked her if she was okay because she was with Damon. _Weird._

Her phone call with Katherine was the weirdest one she had; Katherine asked her if she had slept with Damon. And Damon with his stupid super hearing had heard the question and he smirked. Many kisses were stolen between her and Damon but nothing serious. She was sure that he had convinced himself he is not taking anything too far without her telling him about what happened to her.

"Give me your keys." Damon stated snapping her out of her trance and she saw that they are already there. She sighed as she saw her covered with the snow. "I am going to pull it over the road and drive it home, you are taking my car." He was not begging her, it was an order.

She silently gave him the keys because she knows it was for the better.

"_And right there where we stood was holy ground..." _Elena sang and Damon turns to look at her cocking a brow.

"What?" he asked and she smiled.

"Just a Taylor Swift song." She said and he rolled his eyes and stepped into her car. He started the engine and came back to stand beside her and she looked at him confused. "What are you doing?"

"It has been a week, Elena." Damon said. "The engine needs to warm up." He spoke as she nods softly and they fell into a comfortable silence and she heard the insects sing.

"What the hell are insects doing outside in this cold?" she questioned and he chuckled as he moved closer to her car.

"I am not an agrarian, Elena." He said as she followed him to the car and leaned against the open door. "Need I remind you that I own a hotel not a farm?" he smirked and she looked at her feet laughing silently. "Come on, I need to close that door. Get away." he said and she pushed herself backward as he tried to move but the tyres were stuck in the ice. He rolled down the window and hissed. "This is a little harder than I expected."

"Need some help?" she asked and he shook his head as he tried moving the car again. After a few minutes of trying, he successfully pulled it out of the snow and she gave him two thumbs up and jumps into his car.

"Don't be too harsh on my baby." He shouts over the engine when she rolls down her window and she laughed when she heard what he is implying to.

"_Elena, come here." Miranda said as Elena rolled her eyes and plopped on the couch across to her mum. "You are really going to keep ignoring everyone because I stopped you from going on some stupid date?"_

"_I am not mad at you." Elena said choosing her words carefully._

"_But you are mad at Damon." Her mother said and Elena scoffs. "I know."_

"_I care less about Damon and his hypocritical habits." She said and her mother rolls her eyes._

"_Sure, come over." Her mother said and Elena pulls a face._

"_What?"_

"_I am your mother, Elena." Her mother said firmly. "I call, you come." She said and Elena huffs as she stands and walks to her mother._

"_Take this." She said as she handed Elena a beautiful long chained necklace with an oval shape pendant._

"_Wow." Elena said as she took it. "Why are you giving me this?" she said in awe as she clasped it around her neck and it fell right into her shirt and she giggled. "It will fit better in time." Elena said as she pulled it out and holds the pendant between her fingers._

"_I didn't give you that." Her mother said and Elena looked at her with a small smile on her face as she waited for explanation. "I am no telling you who gave it to you right now; I will tell you when the time is right."_

"_Mum-" Elena said suspiciously._

"_I hope you like it?" Miranda said changing the topic and Elena forgot what is going on as she squealed._

"_I love it. Thank you." She said as she hugged her mum and ran out of the house to Katherine's house on her bicycle._

"_I feel like going out." Elena shouted as she entered the house and Katherine rushed to her._

"_What, you are not angry anymore?" Katherine asked cocking a brow and Elena caught her arm and pulled her out of the house._

"_Nope." She shouted as she hopped on her bicycle and Katherine did the same and they rode in competition to Caroline's house._

"Ahh finally." Elena groaned as she plopped on the couch and Damon did the same as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

"You are leaving in two days." Damon murmured in Elena's ear and a quiver went down her thorn. She knew what he meant by that, he is reminding her that she hadn't told him what is stopping them from taking their relationship to another level.

"Sucks." She giggled as he kissed her earlobe.

"I know." He sounded a little disappointed as he pulled back and looked directly into her eyes. "I am going to miss you." He said honestly and Elena looked away nodding. "This is not the last time I am seeing you right?" he said. "You are not going to disappear and never turn back like the last time, right?"

"Damon." She soothed as she take his face in her hands. "I promise you this is not the last time we are seeing each other. I will never leave you again." she said as his intense gaze caught her and she shuddered. "That is if you want to keep me, if you are ready-"

He cut her off with a kiss and she responded immediately, she let her cold hands glide to his abs as he moaned and pressed soft kisses to her neck down to her chest. She gasped a little when his hand finds her waist and he pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"Yes." She said shakily as she pressed a kiss to his eyelid. "I can't run away anymore. I am tired of letting fear overcome what I want." She said and he smirked.

"Good." He said and she smiled as he starts kissing her neck again and his hand slid under her shirt and caught the chain of her necklace. He pulled back and stared at it for some minutes and she looked at him as he turned to look at her. "You are still wearing this?" he asked and Elena nods simply.

"Yes."

_1__st__ April 2011._

Caroline knocked on the door to Klaus's apartment. Maybe it is her luck that she decided to see him on his birthday and she knew all his friends and family were there. She knocked again but nobody answered thanks to the loud pop music that was pounding through the house. She huffed and pressed the doorbell and it was a matter of seconds before Klaus opened the door.

"Fancy seeing you here, love." Klaus said as he smirked and give her that licentious look and Caroline bumped into his shoulder as she entered the apartment and left his invitation words hanging in the air.

She looked around and saw all the people stopped as they saw her. She was surprised to catch faces of a few people including Bonnie who was clinging to Stefan's arm and she snorted in disgust. _Whore._

The music stopped beating and Klaus moved near her as he takes her hand.

"Come on, love." He said as Caroline pulled her hand away.

"Don't touch me you dreadful hog." She said as her baby blue orbs shined with anger. "I didn't come here to make up with you or beg you or whatever you think." She hissed.

"I am here to warn you and your wretched excuse of a family to take your claws off my boyfriend and friends." She said as she takes a threatening step towards Klaus. "Otherwise, you are not going to have a face to wear that gruesome smile of yours again because I am going to report you to the police and you know right that my mum is the Sheriff and you know what she is capable of doing."

"Come now, love. I thought you were here to apologise for breaking up with me?" Klaus said as he grabbed her arm again but this time she used her elbow to kick him in the stomach.

"Don't worry mate, it runs in their friendship. They don't know what they are missing out on." Stefan's feeble voice rang in her ear and she turned around and smirked at him.

"I suggest you stay out of this, Stefan." She said glaring at him. "Now we don't want Bonnie to know what you said about her before you started fucking her, right?" she said and Stefan's eyes snapped back to the ground and Bonnie looked between them confused. "That is what I thought." Caroline mumbled as she turned to Klaus.

"I am giving you the last warning, I hope picking a fight with Tyler and having your stupid little brother who probably doesn't go to school pick on my friend will be the last I will hear of you otherwise that sorry ass of yours will not walk in Mystic Falls again." she said and take a last momentary look at all the people who were shocked to see how she left a wordless and embarrassed Klaus Mikealson.

_3 hours later._

"Damon, stop it." Elena giggled as she tried to get out of Damon's embrace.

"Take it back." He whispered in her ear and tickled her sides causing her to jump.

"What, that I think Mason and Katherine are cuter than us?" she giggled as he nods. "Okay, I admit Katherine is not cuter than me but Mason is definitely hotter than you." She smirked as he tickled her again and she jumped. "Damon, we are in public." She said as they approached the door to the grill as she bumped into someone and her smile fell immediately.

"Kol." She whispered.

"You." Kol smirked. "I guess you are happy now. Wait, did your BFF tell you the little drama she pulled today at Klaus's birthday? She thought-"

"Mikealson?" Damon asked as he stared at Kol with a look that Elena couldn't explain.

"Yes, and you are?" Kol sneered and Damon returned it with a grin.

"Just the guy I wanted to see." Damon said as his fist flew right into Kol's jaw and he heard Elena gasped behind him, his grin was replaced with a more satisfied one. "The next one when you decide to kiss a lady, make sure she doesn't belong to a man like me." He said as he caught Elena by the arm and pulled her with him.

"God, I could kiss you right now." Caroline squealed as she walked over to Damon with an apron on her body and Damon glares at her.

"I don't want to kiss you." Damon said and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Me neither, it was just an expression." She smirked and turned to look at Elena who is still speechless.

"You went to see Klaus today?" Elena asked and Caroline shrugged. "What were you thinking Care'?"

"I'll be back." Caroline said as she walked to the bar.

No matter how weird it sounds, Caroline and her mother practically own the grill. After her father died, Caroline took over taking care of the grill and her mother stayed as the Sheriff.

"Caroline is going to lose customers if she is really cooking here." He said and Elena nods in agreement as Elena turned to look at him.

"Damon, you just can't go around punching people just because they hurt me." She said and Damon rolls his eyes as if he hadn't heard her little speech. "And I slapped Kol after he kissed me, it is not like he is going to do it again." she said and he turned around taking her face in his warm hands.

"Elena, I love you and you are mine. Only mine." He whispered and she nods in agreement. She used to hate it when Stefan used possessive words on her like Damon is doing now, but she loves it whenever Damon whispered to her that she is his, only his. It felt so right.

Maybe this is where she really belonged after all.

"I can't stand the idea of someone other than me touching you." He whispered in her ear and she shrieked and giggled as his hands snaked around her waist and played with the waistband of her skirt.

"Ugh, you guys get a room already." Caroline snorts as she came back to the table with two fresh drinks in her hand and placed it on their table.

"Do you mind giving us your office for like ten minutes?" he said huskily and Elena smacked his arm and Caroline scrunched her nose in disgust.

"Ugh, you are such a- a man." Caroline said and they all laughed. "Okay, about Klaus." She said gaining Elena's attention. "I went to his house today, he picked a fight with Tyler yesterday at the gas station and I just warned him. Nothing more, as I am telling you right now, Bonnie and Stefan might be fighting." Caroline wiggled her brows and Elena scoffs and Damon snorted.

"Not them again." Damon said.

"Seriously, he wanted to pull off a show about Elena and I threatened to tell Bonnie what he said about her on the Founder's day last year." Caroline said and Elena gasped and burst out laughing.

"Man, was I blind?" she said and they all know what she was talking about.

"You guys have been together for almost seven years. You just feel obligated to stay in that relationship." Caroline said and Damon grunts loudly.

"Can we stop talking about them?" he growled and Caroline held up her hands in surrender and Elena laughed.

"I have visitors to attend to." Caroline winked as she got up and Damon inhaled sharply.

If there is anything that annoys him after Stefan, it is Caroline's mouth that gossips about Stefan all the time. The past week had been heaven; him and Elena were constantly making love to each other and going to places in Mystic Falls. Other than the fact that people gossiped about how Elena jumped from Stefan just because Damon has become hotter over the years, nothing seem to mind them.

Damon had told Elena not to worry about them and he laughed off the matter but it still worries her that people judges their relationship by the simplest way they assumed to be true. Elena has never returned Damon's 'I love you' but he was giving her time to sort out her feelings. She had broken up with Stefan only a month ago and a few days. It is only fair to her, to both of them. He doesn't want her to say something she is going to regret after saying it.

Damon drove them to the boarding house a few minutes before 7pm and that was the first time she was going there since Stefan moved out, six years back. It looked the same with all the decorations but different furniture. Damon might have changed them when he came back. Judging by the way he spend money, changing furniture is not going to bug him.

Speaking of, Damon hadn't talked to her about his job and she didn't ask. Maybe he is waiting for her to ask? Then she is definitely going to ask him.

"Milk." Damon said as he handed her a glass of milk and she smiled gratefully.

"You are giving me milk in the evening." She said as she took a sip and he chuckled.

"Food rules and diets are overrated." He simply said as she nods and make her way to the bookshelf. She was about to turn when her foot went in contact with the leg of a coffee table and the milk slit all over the place. Damon rushed to her side and caught her by the arm before she made contact with the floor.

"Are you okay?" he asked and his eyes snapped back to the ground and saw that the milk was all over his handmade Indian rug. "No no no." Damon murmured as Elena looked at him confused.

"What?" she asked as he didn't answer her and rushed to the kitchen bringing a towel with him. He knelt down and cleaned the place as Elena glared at him. "You don't even mind if I hurt my leg, you only care about your rug." She said putting her hand on her hip.

"Did you?" he asked. "Did you hurt your leg?" he said standing up.

"No." She glared at him and he shrugged.

"Well, that is the point. You didn't hurt your leg, I am happy." He said as he grinned and Elena glares at him as she turned around and plopped on the couch with her hands across her chest. Damon rolled his eyes as he dropped the towel and moved to her.

"Look Elena, I love my rug just as much-"

"As you love me." She concluded angrily and Damon's brows furrowed.

"Don't put words in my mouth." He said and she huffs.

"But that is what you mean." She cried and Damon threw his hands in the air.

"Maybe it is your time of the month?" he asked as Elena tried to suppress her laugh but she failed as she burst out laughing and Damon sighed in relief.

"Damon, it is not funny." She said. "You practically showed me that you love the stupid rug more than me." She said as Damon lay down beside her and put his head on her lap as her hands immediately started playing with his jet black hair.

"You know I love you Elena." He said as he brought her head closer and kissed her chin. "More than anything." He whispered as she looked at him smiling softly.

"I believe you." She whispered. "Can I ask you something?" she asked and he nods.

"Yes, of course."

"What did you do when you went to New York?" she asked and he smiled.

"Business talks with Rose and... my mother." He said as he looked away.

"How is she?" Elena said softly.

"Not good. She is not going to change Elena." He said and she sighed at his tone.

"So, business talks." She said changing the topic quickly as she realised he doesn't want to talk about his mother.

"Yes, with Rose. You know; the Salvatore hotels." He said and she gasped.

"It is still there?" she asked and Damon nods.

"It was always there, it just went down after dad's death. We tried to bring it back on track with Rose, now she is taking care of everything and hopefully, it is working out." He sighed. "Many celebrities stay there when they come for holidays or something else."

"How many rooms do you have there?" she asked looking amused.

"190 I guess." He said and Elena squealed.

"That is good." She said. "Are you going to take me someday?" she asked with an innocent face and Damon got up as he kissed her cheek.

"I will take you anywhere in the world if it makes you happy." Damon said and Elena laughed.

"So cheesy, Salvatore." She said as he walked to the kitchen laughing. She heard the doorbell ring and she got up and opened the door to find a beautiful short haired brunette standing on the other side.

"Can I help you?" Elena asked trying so hard not to sound rude but the jealousy is evident in her voice.

"I am looking for my boyfriend, Damon Salvatore." The woman said in a little voice and Elena's jaw dropped to the ground.

"Excuse me?"

"He left me in New York, he promised to come back after two days but he never showed up." The woman said and Elena felt like the ground is opening and ready to take her in. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as Damon walked up to the door.

"What is going on?" he asked but Elena didn't answer. "Who is there?"

"You tell me." Elena snapped as Damon looked at her confused and poked his head outside.

"Rose?" he said as the girl burst out laughing and jumped to hug Damon, Elena felt like slapping Rose for the way she fooled her but she just crossed her arm against her chest.

"I got into your girlfriend's head." Rose giggled as she pulled back and Damon looked at Elena who is flushing in embarrassment.

"Nice way to show up after ten years, Rose." Elena said defiantly and Rose rolled her eyes.

"I know right, Rose1-0Lenie." Rose giggled and Damon cleared his throat.

"You didn't tell me you are coming." He said as he copied Elena's expression and pastes it on his face.

"It is like you are not happy to see me." Rose said in a disappointed voice and Elena glares at Damon and pulled Rose's arm.

"Oh, don't be silly. You are always welcome here, we always see the same people in this town." Elena said as she picked Rose's suitcase and pulled her to the living room. "Tell me you are staying for long." Elena said and Rose laughed.

"I am going back on 4th April." Rose said and Elena pouted.

"Well, this is not a visit. You just came to tease us."

"No, you are welcome to come back with me." Rose offered and Elena giggled.

"I would love to but I have to wait to take my leave from work." She said and Rose nodded in agreement.

Damon smiled at how Elena and his cousin bonded; it was really nice to see a new face in Mystic Falls like Elena said.

_End of flashback._

"_Don't ever let this life pass us by... live like there is no tomorrow." _Elena sang as Damon laughed out loud.

"The singer in you is totally present today right?" Damon said and Elena appeared in his back as she takes a handful of flour and hiding it behind her back.

"And do you like it?" she whispered seductively in his ear and bit her lower lip as Damon turned around and sighed as his hand found her waist and placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose.

"I love it." He said as Elena put her hand on his neck and he felt something warm and powdery on his back. He let out a hiss through clenched teeth and Elena smirked as she ran away. "You didn't." He shouted as he followed her and picked her up before throwing her to the couch.

"I am sorry." She whispered and Damon laughed.

"So good you apologised, because I would hate to throw you into the shower right now seeing as you catch cold so easily." He smiled and roll off her as she sighed. "I was making us dinner for god sake." He said and she pouted. "You could have just sat there and sang for me."

"I can do that." She jumped to her feet as Damon stared at her in amusement.

"Why are you so happy?" he asked as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"I am happy to be here with you." She said silently. "It feels so good to know you can forgive me after what I did to you." She said and Damon smiled softly.

"Past is past, Elena." He said as he picked her up and sat her down on one of the kitchen stools. "I don't want you bringing it up when you are happy." He said. "I can see that it makes you sad." He said pointing to her eyes as she shrugged. "So about that song?" he said changing the topic and she squealed.

"So, Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez or Rihanna?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have other singers?" he groaned and she laughs.

"You asked for a song and you get from my favourite singers." She said as she started singing Man Down and Damon laughed choking on his breath. "What, is my voice that horrible?" she asked and Damon shakes his head still laughing.

"No Elena, your voice is not horrible. It just feels weird hearing you sing that bizarre song."

"It is not bizarre." She pouted.

"Yes, it is."

"Okay, cruella devil it is."

"And who is that?" Damon asked and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Selena." She declared as she cleared her throat and Damon laughed as he puts the fish roll in the oven.

_Cruella, cruella devil_

_If she doesn't scare you no evil thing will_

_Cruella, cruella devil_

_To see her is to take a sudden chill_

"That one is nice." Damon said sincerely and Elena winked. "It can totally relate to Katherine." He smirked and Elena frowned as she threw an orange at him.

"You meanie." She said.

"Okay, forget I said that. How about Taylor Swift?"

"Yes." She squealed.

_I'm just another thing for you to roll your eyes at honey_

_You might have him, but haven't you heard_

_I'm just another thing for you to roll your eyes at honey_

_You might have him, but I always get the last word_

"Nice, but I like cruella devil more." He said and she nods.

"This one is called better than revenge, that is only the middle part." She said as they continued their small talks and ate dinner and washed the plates together.

"I can't believe you are going day after tomorrow." Damon said silently and Elena laughed.

"I promised to come back, didn't I?" she said and Damon shakes his head. "You are such a whiner. And you can always follow me, I know it has been long since you went to see them." she offered jokingly and Damon's face broke into a grin.

"I don't know how I didn't think of that before." He laughed.

"Are you serious?" she asked looking shocked.

"Do I look like I am joking?" he said and Elena jumped to hug him. "Now let me go shower before you put the flour all over yourself." He said and she pulls back with a grin crashing her lips to his.

"You can't believe how happy I am, Damon." She sighed. "I love you." She said for the first time after one year and his head snapped up to hers as he smiled softly and kissed her flushed cheek.

"I love you too." he whispered. "I should go shower." He said as he rushed upstairs and Elena took her phone calling Katherine and telling her about her and Damon coming to Richmond, Katherine squealed about the idea and asked if Elena had told Damon what happened.

"No I didn't." Elena whispered.

"_Elena, he deserves to know." Katherine said and Elena nods in agreement._

"I planned on telling him tomorrow." Elena said as she heard the doorbell ring. "Look, I have to go. I will call you before I go to bed." Elena said and hung up.

Elena walked to the door slowly and hesitates whether to answer it or not. Nobody has ever come here since the day Damon brought her. She took a deep breath as the shrill sound goes through the house and she opened the door.

Her heart fell to the ground as she saw the smile on their visitor's face dropped.

"Rose." Elena said in a small voice and Rose glares at her.

"What are you doing here?" Rose asked.

"What is going on here, Elena?" Damon asked and Rose saw him as his mouth opened slightly.

"No, you tell me." Rose said as Elena stepped back and Rose stepped in with her suitcase and Damon closed the door behind them.

..

_**I really loved writing Caroline's part. ;)**_

_**Say it, I am weird. I have already started thinking about another story. O.o The usual couple but this time around both of them are engaged to different people and they bumped into each other in the summer at a beach in South Africa.**_

_**I will upload the cover image soon.**_

_**Check my other one shot A Mess He Didn't Plan.**_

_**xoxo**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**This chapter isn't the best one I wrote. You are warned, I am not happy with it but I will let you judge that.**_

_**And by now some of you would have guessed what actually happened to our girl. :'(**_

Chapter 10.

"I wanna know what is happening." Rose said as Damon smirked and brought her a glass of orange juice and she glared at it and refused to take it. "I don't care about this, Damon. Tell me what she is doing here, you forgot what she did to you?" she yelled and pointed at Elena who is sulking in the other corner of the room with her back against the wall and her right foot.

She crossed her arms and waited for Damon to explain to his ever controlling cousin.

"Can you stop with the yelling?" Damon yelled back. "I am the elder here aren't I?" he said as she huffed and ran upstairs glaring at Elena on her way.

"Hey." Damon said as he moved closer to Elena. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine." She smiled. "Talk to her, she deserve to know." Elena said and Damon rolls his eyes.

"She didn't tell me she was coming, I swear." He said. "I would have told you."

"Don't worry about it." Elena said. "I am just going to bed. You can talk to me if you are done." She smiled softly and he pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"Just sleep, okay?" he said as she nods and they walked upstairs together. She opened the door to her room and gasped when she saw Rose sitting on the bed.

"Umm, I am going to go uh, find another room." Elena said awkwardly as Rose stands up and walked past them.

"I didn't know you were staying here." She said as she gets out of the room with her arms crossed against her chest. "It smells of... Damon." Rose said as she smirked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Would you agree if I tell you that I come into this room and watch her sleep all night?" he snapped.

"Damon-" Elena warned as she squeezed his hand. "Just go. Goodnight." She said as she closed the door and Damon followed Rose to the room she choose to stay in.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were coming?" Damon asked grimly as Rose sat on the dressing table.

"Ruin the chance to see you rekindle your old romance with this girl that crushed you? No." She huffed angrily.

"Why are you getting angry? I am not even angry." He said and Rose rolled her eyes.

"Because you are so whipped and blinded that you forgot the hard time she has put you through. Damon what were you thinking? Getting Elena back?" she said the last part silently.

Damon sighed and looked at the ceiling before snapping his head back to her. He doesn't know what to tell her, Elena refused to tell him the reason why she did what she did but he figured out that it is a great reason. She wouldn't just leave him like that.

"There is something that is going on with her. Haunting her. She is scared-"

"And as always you are being the hero?" she said sarcastically and Damon glares at her in anger.

"Rose, if you are here to judge me or who I decide to be with, then I'd rather not talk to you." He said looking at her deeply and she shrieked. For some reason she hate seeing him mad.

"Sorry Damon but I can't help it." She said. "She really crushed you."

"And she is back here, she is in desperate need of help and I want to help her. She is suffering." He sighed. "She won't know that she is having nightmares but she does have them every night and I will be there to hold her. She keeps screaming my name but she never talked about it, it is either she doesn't know she is having them or she don't want to talk about it." He said and he saw Rose's face softens.

"I will be going back tomorrow." She said. "I just came to say happy New Year and brought you a gift and tell you that Stefan showed up on my doorstep on Christmas."

"What the fuck." He really meant it. Why hadn't he thought of Stefan in days, months? His mind automatically dismisses the idea of Stefan whenever it came to his mind. He really felt a shiver went down his body when she mentioned Stefan's name out loud.

"He was looking for you." She said. "He said he wants to tell you something you don't know but I refused to tell him where you are. He was drunk and threatened to come inside but I called the security and they took him away."

"Something I don't know." Damon repeated.

"_Lenie." Rose squealed._

"_It is Elena." Elena said as she laughs and roll her eyes and continues to walk ahead of their friends._

"_I know, I just love calling you Lenie." She shouted. "It is lovely, right Damon?" Rose said and Damon laughed gently._

"_Really lovely." A fifteen year old Damon agreed with his eleven year old cousin as they all stopped at the big tree near the lake._

_Rose came to visit Damon's family for spring break, her parents died in an accident a few months after she was born and she stays with her aunt in New York. Her aunt was a really kind woman because she didn't let the relationship between Rose and her father's relative go awry. Damon, Stefan, Elena, Katherine, Tyler and Rose were going to the picnic together because their family insisted them to and they were all left under Tyler and Damon's care. _

_Their Gilbert's and Salvatore's were close more than any family in Mystic Falls and they want their relationship to go on with their children and grandchildren. Tyler was begged by Damon to follow them because he didn't want to deal with the kids all by himself. Damon could tell that all of them were enjoying the picnic except for Elena and his brother._

"_Stop being so clumsy." Elena scolded Rose as she used a tissue and wipes the corner of Rose's mouth and Rose showed her teeth._

"_Thank you, Lenie." She giggled and Katherine laughed._

"_That is like the lame name I have ever heard." _

"_You are mean." Rose pouted. "You like the name right Elena?" Rose turns to Elena and Elena nods. "Your twin sister thinks you don't like it."_

"_Who told you they are twins?" Stefan hissed and Damon looks at him with surprise._

"_Well they look alike." Rose shrugs._

"_They are not twins." Stefan said firmly and Damon rolls his eyes._

"_Okay, nana Gilbert. What is wrong with you, why are you being so mean?" Damon said sarcastically at Stefan as Elena and Katherine glare at him for addressing Stefan as their grandfather._

"_I want to play football." Stefan said._

"_So leave, you could have easily told dear mum that. She would have let you stayed at home; I can't say the same about me." Damon murmured and Tyler elbowed him._

"_Stop it." _

"_So who all are enjoying this picnic?" Katherine asked and only Rose answered. "Then we should hit the road, I knew from the beginning that this would be a really lame idea."_

"_You are right." Elena murmured as she got up and brushed her jeans as she helped Rose get up._

"You are thinking too much." Rose said as Damon stared into the space.

"Don't mind me." Damon said as he shrugged off the matter. "So?"

"Nothing. I am hitting the road at 8am tomorrow." She said and Damon nods.

"I am going to Richmond day after tomorrow." He said and Rose's shoulder slumps.

"When are you coming back to New York?"

"Soon." He smirked.

"Damon, you can't just skip work and-"

"I said I am coming back if everything works out before next month." He said and she pressed her lips together and nods her head. "Good night, Rose." He smiled and get out of the room.

_27__th__ July 2011._

"So you are officially a citizen of Mystic Falls now." Caroline chimed as she plopped on the couch between Elena and Rose.

Rose is visiting Mystic Falls for the second time during summer and she is having a girl's night with Elena and Caroline. Katherine is having a night shift and she whined when they told her they are having a girl's night without her.

"Someone is missing someone." Rose teased and Elena shook her head out of her trance.

"Understandable, it is one month." Elena said.

Last month Damon had taken her to New York with him and took her to many memorable places. She enjoyed the trip till the day she is coming back to Mystic Falls alone because Damon had many meetings to attend and many places to go.

She just realised how she had been holding him in Mystic Falls when she saw the heap of work he has to do. She couldn't stay because her work needed her. She missed Damon; she missed hearing his voice near her, near her ear. She missed the feel of his touch. She missed everything about him.

"You don't have to worry." Rose said. "I know he is coming back soon. He was almost done when I came here last week." Rose soothed.

She and Elena have become great friends in the few days they spent together when she came to Mystic Falls. Elena and Caroline took her to many places including their stupid hiding place when they used to play hide and seek when she came to visit as a kid.

"I hope so." She said as her phone rang and her face lit up.

"Damon." She said as she walked away from the parlour and she can hear Rose and Caroline's little giggles.

"_God, I miss you." _He whispered. _"The people here are draining the life out of me. I don't know how the hell that assistant managed to get thirteen meetings out of me today." _Her heart dropped when he mentioned an assistant but she cleared her throat.

"What is his name?" she asked in a plain voice and Damon picked it up that she is trying to know everything.

"_Fiona, she is a girl."_ He said and Elena snorts. _"She is nice."_

"I don't like you around nice girls."

"_Ooh I take it someone is jealous."_ He sang and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Damon, I am serious." She bit out and frowns as if he could see her.

"_So am I Elena."_ He whispered. _"You are the only girl my eyes can see and find her beautiful, nice and adorable."_ He said and she laughs lightly.

"I like it when you go all cheesy." She smirked.

"_I love you."_ He said and she bit her lips. For some reason she is still not able to return the simple three words. She doesn't feel empty, Damon completes her in all ways and more than she could ask for but her tongue refused to roll out the three words. She heard him clear his throat awkwardly, something he usually does whenever she didn't return his three words.

"Damon-"

She started but he cut her off to spare them the awkwardness.

"_I saw Anna today." _He said in a tiny voice and Elena knew that whatever he saw was not good. _"She is awful Elena, I tried so hard to get it out of my mind but I can't. I mean, what is someone supposed to do when he saw his mother in that condition and he badly wants to help her but he knows he is just going to regret it later?"_

"Oh Damon." Elena whispered. "I am sorry." All she wanted to do is hug him and tell him that she will always be there for him, he has nothing to worry about but why did he have to be so far.

"_I went to a meeting in the restaurant I saw her and she was really high." He continued with a little hiss. "I had to throw a tantrum to get me and my visitors out of the place because I just couldn't stand seeing my mother ruining her life while I am doing something good with mine."_

"It is not your fault, Damon." She said and he scoffs. "You are anything but selfish, don't you dare blame anything that happens to her on you. I mean her golden child never talks about her since she left, he probably didn't know where she is right now." she soothed.

"_He knows, Elena." _Damon said. _"But he was only a kid, I was around in New York but I didn't do anything to stop her."_

"Including the whole calling Alaric to come and help you about her?" Elena said and he sighed. "Damon, she is an adult. She knows what she is doing and she chooses to cut you out of her life... I am not telling you to do the same, she is your mother and you can't just let her be but stop blaming yourself for people's problems, Damon. You don't run anyone's life."

"_Thank you." _He said. _"You are the best."_

"Anytime."

"_Where is Rose?"He asked._

"In the living room with Caroline." Elena said.

"_I need you to remind her that her short leave is finishing today and she should bring her ass back her and-here-comes-the-best-news-of-this-call-" _he said and Elena giggled trying to process what he is saying. _"I am coming back tomorrow."_

She squealed loudly and she can hear Caroline and Rose's grunts coming from the living room.

"_Easy there, princess."_ He laughed. _"We don't want me getting a deaf, now do we?" _he said and she laughed happily.

"I am so happy." She said. "Oh my god. What time?"

"_The exact time that I am sure I won't meet Rose there." _He said and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Stop being mean to her. She is a cool girl."

"_Yeah right. Would you agree if I tell you I have another meeting in two minutes?" _

"Damon, it is 10pm."

"_Yeah, I want to finish everything today so I could come and see you tomorrow." _He said.

"Oh Damon."She said. "I can't wait to see you."

"_Me too." _he said. _"Good night, Elena."_

"Good night, Damon." She said as she ran back to the living room with a huge smile on her face.

"How many orgasms do you have during the call?" Rose said boldly as Caroline's brows flew up and Elena's nose scrunched up.

"Eww." Caroline said as she hit her with a pillow.

"Your brother." Elena warned and Rose shrugged.

"He should have known that before he chased all my boyfriends." Rose said and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, the biker guy and the one that knocks on your door at 1am to take you to party." Elena said and Rose pouted.

"You are no fun, he told you that?"

"Yes he did." Elena said.

"Oh you guys, you tell each other everything. Do you discuss your sex life before you hooked up?" she asked and Elena gasped.

"Oh my god, Rose you are disgusting. Why would they do that?" Caroline said with a little troubled look on her face.

"Is she drunk?" Elena asked. "Okay honey, you are turning 21 in-"

"I am 21." She said and Elena rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how Damon possibly let you do everything for him" Elena said shaking his head. "Damon said he want you back in New York tomorrow." She said as Rose's face fell.

"Ahh, I came here and now I am hating the idea of work." She murmured as she covered her face with her palms. "Let's not talk about it okay." She said as they both nod. "So Elena, did you wear that lingerie I picked for you to wear on Damon's birthday?"

"Okay, Damon's birthday was like two months ago and I don't want to talk about it with you." Elena said and Rose raised a brow.

"It sucks that you are going to miss Elena's birthday." Caroline said and Rose's frown grows bigger. "We are going to throw a big bash, bigger than mine."

"Stop teasing me." Rose said and Elena laughed.

..

Rose left early that morning and Caroline went to see her mother. Elena stood in the kitchen disappointed that she couldn't cook or do anything for Damon. She sighed when she heard the front door open and she knew it is Katherine. Would she be asking too much if she asked Katherine to help her cook for Damon, because he would be here in an hour or two.

"Someone is in a dilemma." Katherine said as she dragged her foot to the fridge and took a bottle of water as she gulped it down. "I can help you." Katherine said and Elena laughed at the way Katherine has the ability to read her like a book.

"I would love that but you are tired." Elena said. "You just come back from work."

"Bitch please." Katherine said as she pushed Elena away and brought out everything she is going to need and Elena laughed.

..

Elena rushed to the door when the doorbell rang and her heart skipped a beat. What is the best thing she is going to do to give him a perfect welcome? Kiss him? Hug him? Or maybe give him food?

She giggled as she opened the door and flew to his arms wrapping her arms around his neck before pulling back and kissing him deeply.

"I miss you." He murmured against her lips and she could only nod and she heard Katherine clears her throat behind them.

"Get a room already. One month celibacy, I don't blame you though. It is understandable if you do it on the porch." Katherine smirked as they both roll their eyes.

"Do me a favour and kick your cousin out of your house." He said. "She knows how to ruin a good moment." He said as his eyes turned to Elena who is gazing at him intensely with a huge smile on her face. "Stop with that look, you are making me miss you more." Damon said and she laughed.

"That is not possible." She whispered and his eyes turned dark with lust. What did she do, she only said four words.

"Your voice is even sexier now." he said as he kissed her lips again and Katherine threw her hands up in the air.

"Ugh, please get a room." She said as she stepped beside them. "And don't let your late lunch get cold. I am going out." Katherine said and Elena only nodded in response as Damon pushed her back into the house and their hands are everywhere expressing how much they missed each other.

_End of flashback._

Elena stood awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen; she didn't know how Damon and Rose's conversation had ended. If everyone is going to forgive her for hurting Damon's feelings, Rose is going to be the last one.

She didn't check up on Damon when she woke up, she just brought out her clothes from the closet and put them back in the suitcase. She is beyond happy that Damon is following her to Richmond but what if he had changed his mind overnight? What if Rose told him not to? She stared out of the window and sighed as she saw the snow falling gently. It doesn't look really bad and hopefully it wouldn't get bad before tomorrow.

She opened the cabinet and pulled out the peanut butter jar and looked into the fridge and brought out bread and warmed it in the microwave. She heard a noise and she knew that Damon has wake up and he is going to join her here. She jumped when the alarm on her phone buzzed and show 7:40 am and that is when she realised she had woken up earlier.

"Hi Lenie." She heard Rose said cheerfully and she stared at her in disbelief and surprise.

"Umm, hi." She mumbled back and Rose rolled her eyes as she walked over to Elena and placed a hand on Elena's shoulder.

"Look, I am sorry for what I said yesterday and the day we met at Mystic Falls after everything that happened." Rose said with a sympathetic look on her face. _Okay what is happening?_ Elena thought. "I lost you as a friend and I- just as long as Damon is happy, I don't have a say in whatever he does." Rose said squeezing Elena's arm gently and Elena knew immediately that Damon has told his cousin something but she shrugged it off.

"No problem, it is okay." Elena smiled as Rose pulled her into a hug and Damon came in the kitchen.

"Aww, reunion." He said as Rose smiled but Elena didn't look at him and he came closer and kissed her forehead but she still ignored him.

"I should hit the road I guess." Rose said and Elena tilts her head to the side.

"You are not leaving."

"Yes I am. I just came to bring my New Year gift since he decided to ignore me." Rose said and Elena laughed a little as they both walked to the door to Rose's car. "So, Mr Salvatore, here is your gift." Rose said as she pulled out a small box and gave it to him. He glared at her before he opened it and all three of them laughed.

"You came all the way from New York to bring me an iPhone case?" Damon said with a bright smile on his face. "What are you, 12?"

"It is cute right Lenie?" she said as she stepped into her car and Elena nods.

"It is." Elena smiled. "When are we gonna see you again?"

"You guys should come to New York." Rose offered and Elena smiled and dismissed the topic.

"We are going to Richmond tomorrow." She said. "Damon is coming with me." Elena said as Rose closed her door and rolls down the window.

"He told me." Rose said as she starts the engine.

"Drive safely, take care of yourself." Damon said as he slipped an arm around Elena.

"Safe journey, Rose." Elena said.

"Goodbye, Elena." They waved as she drove off and Elena shrugged out of Damon's embrace and walked inside without saying anything.

"What is wrong?" Damon asked as he entered the living room and saw her standing by the fireplace.

"What did you tell Rose?"

"What do you mean?"

"She was so mean yesterday and she is so soft and shooting me sympathetic looks today." Elena huffed. "Damon, what did you tell her? Because I didn't tell you anything about what happened."

"So you are telling me that everyone will be looking at you with sympathy if they know what happens to you?" he said as he crossed her arms and she turned around.

"Damon, cut the crap and tell me what you told her." She shouted.

"I don't know if you want to know what is happening." He said silently.

"Is it about me?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me, I deserve to know."

"You are having nightmares." Damon said in a little voice as she looked at him with confusion. "Do you know you are having them?" he asked and her mouth opened slightly but she didn't reply. "Elena?"

"I don't know." She shook her head as her heart started beating rapidly. "I mean, how do you know?"

"The third day you were here, I was going up to my room and I heard you talking in your sleep, calling my name." He said as she walked past him and sat down by his side. "I went to your room and held you and you calmed down after some time." He said as he sat down beside her. "I thought you didn't want to talk about it that is why you never talked to me."

"Katherine told me but I didn't know it is that bad." She said. "I thought I stopped having them a while back." She whispered and he shakes his head.

"Is it that bad?" Damon asked and she turned to look at him. "What happened to you?" he said and her eyes filled with tears and she nods as he pulled her to his arms. "Hey, don't cry. Everything will be okay, we are alright." He whispered into her hair and she nods. After a minute she stopped crying and she pulled back.

"Stefan went looking for me in New York." He said as Elena flinched at the mention of Stefan. "Are you okay?" he asked and she nods slowly.

"Yes, I just need to get out of here." She stammered and he nods dumbly.

..

_**Not the best chapter, I know.**_

_**And here is the link to the poster of the story I am starting in 2 or 3 months. **_

_** x71qs ... remove the spaces and the brackets. Please tell me what you think.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Just so you know, 2011 was a little bit hard to write because of the little angst. More to come in the next chapters.**_

_**And the reviews have dropped. The last chapter was so bad? :'( **_

_**Here you go you amazing people, and once again thanks to everyone that reads this story. You are all amazing.**_

Chapter 11

_5__th__ January 2013._

Elena woke up from her deep slumber and groaned as she saw her suitcase packed at the other corner of the room. For some weird and selfish reason, she didn't want to leave. She hadn't felt this complete in a year and she finally gets him back. He is so easy on her. She thought he would never forgive her after what she did but he loves her, probably more than she loves herself.

She moved to her feet and stretched as she walked into the bathroom and took a shower. Judging by how silent the house sounds, Damon is probably still asleep. She came out of the shower and dropped the towel as she put on her green camisole and took her suitcase downstairs. When she came back to the room, she stood in the front of the mirror and turned aside as her fingers grazed her arms and little goose bumps appear on her skin.

This is the first time she is touching the scars and observing them after a year. She hissed a little and refused to close her eyes because everything will just come flashing and she is going to lose herself in the thought of that terrible evening.

She heard the wooden floor creaked and she hissed a little when she realised Damon had come into the room. She pulled her jacket from the dressing table and starts to wear it.

"Don't you knock?" she jeered as he took a few step towards her with a terrifying look on his face.

"I don't think I needed a permission to come into my girlfriend's room." _Girlfriend. _She could actually hug him and tell him how happy she is that he is using the word on her again but the purse on his lips stopped her. "How do you get those scars, Elena?"

"It doesn't matter." She said as she pulled her phone from the nightstand and Damon huffed.

"Seriously Elena, scars?" he said as he starts to pry the jacket off her body. "I am going to have a look at them." he said firmly as if asking for permission but she didn't have a chance to protest when the jacket comes off her. "Oh my-"

"What?" Damon starts at a loss of words as his hand grazed over the scars. "Who did this to you Elena?" he asked as he starts shaking with anger and she remembered how Damon gets angry at everyone who bumps into her even by mistake and now he is seeing scars on her body.

"Damon-" she said and he looked into her eyes with his blue eyes turned grey and red from anger. "They are getting better. They are healing; they won't be here in two months or so. They used to be worse."

"I am asking you who the fuck did this to you not when they are gonna heal." He shouted. "I don't care about the scars I want to know who did this so I can-"

"Have them arrested?" she cut him off and he nods. "That is what I thought."

"Is this why you..." _broke up with me? _That is what he was aching to say but he couldn't get the words out.

"Yes." She answered softly and out of nowhere she feels his lips pressed to hers in a little peck and she promised "I will tell you everything soon."

"Yes you better do. Because whoever the fuck did this to you is going to die and rot in jail." He said silently. "I can't stand the idea of you getting hurt." He murmured as he pressed his fingers to her cheek and she closed her eyes. "Whoever did this to you is not human, Elena."

"I am dying inside to know everything but I don't wanna push you-"

"And I love you for being so understanding." She said as her fingers travelled to intertwine with his warm ones on her cheek. "I don't deserve your compassion." She whispered as tears filled her eyes.

"Elena." He murmured as he pulled her to him. "What matters is that right now, I am here with you and you are here with me. I won't let you go no matter what. We both did the same mistake ago but I promise I won't let you walk away even if you want to."

"I don't want to." She murmured in the crook of his neck. "I don't want to, I promise." She said as he kissed her hair and they pulled back.

Now that he knows what happens –_not exactly _to her, he ceased to find a single flaw about her. She walked away because she knew exactly what his reaction would be, she knew he was going to make whoever did that to her suffer and that is why she didn't want him to know. But he vowed right there to find whoever did that to her flawless body and he is going to make the person suffer.

_Someone used something sharp on her body. _He couldn't even think of it. He opened his eyes and looked into hers smiling softly at the promise they made to each other. They are stuck with each other forever.

"_Dad, dad." Damon shouted as he crouched to his knees and shakes his father's body. "Is it your asthma?" Damon asked and the man sighs._

"_No, Damon." He said silently and Damon sighed in relief when he realises he could still talk._

"_Where is mum?" Damon asked and his father's eyes filled with tears. Damon was beyond shocked to see tears in his father's eyes. "Dad." He said as Giuseppe coughed again and clutched his chest with his hand. "What can I do to help? Where is mum?"_

"_She is not here, Damon." The man said between chokes as Damon's shoulder slumped and his eyes filled with shock._

"_Damon!" Damon hears Alaric shouted from the doorway._

"_In the living room, hurry up. I need help." Damon shouted back and Alaric rushed to the living room._

"_What is wrong with him?" _

"_He is not telling me." Damon cried as Giuseppe continued to bring out a series of coughs._

"_I am sorry, Damon. I love you son." Giuseppe smiled and Damon looked at him with surprise._

"_What are you saying?" _

"_Your mother..."_

"_What did she do? What happened to her? Is she okay?" Damon asked as he holds Giuseppe hands in his and Alaric crouched closer to him looking helpless._

"_She is fine she would be here in an hour."_

"_Maybe I should call my father; we were just living for London." Alaric said as Giuseppe shakes his head._

"_But she will not meet me..." Giuseppe continued as Alaric went outside to call his father._

"_What? No no no, you are not doing this." Damon choked. "You are going to be okay. Mr Saltzman is coming and we can take you to the hospital."_

"_I love you my child." Giuseppe said. "Say goodbye to Stefan."_

"_No-"_

"_My father is on his way." Alaric came back._

"_It is too late." That is what Giuseppe said before going still in Damon's hands._

"_Dad? Dad?" Damon cried. "No!"_

"So we should hit the road?" Damon asked as Elena finished off her cereal and washed the bowl. She turned around and pouted.

"I don't wanna leave." She said and he chuckled.

"Real endearing princess but we don't want Aunt Jenna attacking us with tomatoes, now do we?" he asked and she laughed as she remembered their first trip to Richmond together when they arrived late at night and Jenna threw tomatoes at them because they woke her up.

They walked up to the car and Damon sighed.

"So, whose car?" she asked cocking a brow and Damon smiled.

"Well, I am the uninvited guest. So the least I can do is borrow us my car, besides yours might throw a fit of temper considering she spends five days in the snow."

"Why do you like addressing cars as girls?" she asked as they loaded their suitcases to the trunk.

"Well, they are... cars." He smirked as they both entered the car. "And they are pretty hot so..." he said and she pouted. "Oh no, you know you are my number one." He smiled as he tapped her pout with a finger.

"First your rug and now your car." She said and he bursts out laughing.

"Oh my god Elena. You still talk about that?" he said. "Now who is the great whiner? Me or you?" he asked and looked at her, admiring how adorable she looks with that pampered kid look on her face.

"I am nothing on you when it comes to whining, Damon." Elena laughs as she braced her legs on the dashboard and she heard Damon murmured something about long legs but she ignored him. "Don't you have any music in this car?" she asked with a smirk and he shrugs.

"I'd like it more if you are the one singing." He smirked.

"What is my price then?" she smiled mischievously.

"Well, mention whatever you want and you get it. You are talking to the owner of Salvatore hotels." He smirked and Elena shakes her head.

"Cocky much?"

"Very much." He grinned and Elena rests her head on the headrest and clears her throat.

_2nd August 2011._

Damon sighed for the umpteenth time and turned to look at Elena on her side of the bed who looks extremely quiet and distant today. He wanted to take her out but she refuses to go anywhere. They were stuck in the boarding house for days and they only eat food when it is time to.

"Elena, you have to tell me what is wrong with you." Damon said gently as he takes her hand in his.

She turned to look at him with her eyes which looked so lifeless and tired. He frowned when she squeezed his hand and got off the bed without responding to his question.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he sat up and watched her trying to leave the room.

"I am fine." She said trying to convince herself and Damon grunts as he walked up to her.

"Don't feed me with that bullshit Elena. You are not fine." He said as he crossed his arms against his chest and she avoided his eyes. "You are not going anywhere, you only answer your phone when Katherine calls and you didn't stop thinking. How far are you gonna take this?"

"I feel like something- I don't know, anything will come after me if I walk through that door." She said and Damon rolls his eyes as he took a step forward and cupped her face.

"Don't think like that, Elena." He said. "You are fine. We are fine." He whispered as he pulled her to his arm. "I love you." He whispered against her hair.

"I love you too." she blurts out and he went still against her body.

He had craved to get these three words out of her mouth for so long but she never said them out loud. She chooses only this moment to tell him that she loves him. She chuckled at his reaction.

"Don't be so surprise." She spoke. "I wanted to say that for so long but I don't know what has been stopping me." She said and he laughed as he pulled her back and takes her lips in his.

"Let's have lunch outside." Damon said and she frowned. "It is summer, Elena. Live a little. You can't hide from the world because of your untrue philosophy."

After two minutes of argument, Damon convinced her and brought her jacket for her to wear. She smiled as he helped her with the jacket and they walked to his car.

He drove them to the grill in silence and he saw Tyler and Caroline sitting at a booth and he walked up to them but Elena slipped in the other booth.

"Fancy seeing you here, niece." She heard John's voice drawls out and she groaned and looked up from the menu.

"What do you want?"

"Well, actually I saw you walked in here with your boyfriend and I got scared-" he said as he mocked a shudder "But don't worry we have had this talk before."

"If he sees you here-"

"Oh Elena, always so naive! You think I am scared of your boyfriend?" he smirked and she looked away. "Anyway, straight to the point, I want you to stay away from Katherine." He said and she scoffed as she looked down to the menu again.

"Yeah, that is gonna happen." Elena sang in a snarky voice and John hissed.

"Listen to me little girl." He bit out. "I want you to stay away from my daughter because whoever you stay close to ends up dead or getting hurt."

"Excuse me?" she hissed through clenched teeth as she looked up at him with anger glistening in her eyes.

"You heard me right. First your parents, then you brother and don't think I haven't heard about how you hurt Stefan and jump from him to his brother." John said and she shakes her head as she looked around the grill to look for Damon but he isn't there, Caroline and Tyler weren't there too. "It is a matter of time before you hurt the older brother and your little blonde friend and that Lockwood kid."

"You don't know anything about me!" Elena shouted as she draws people attention to them. "Just leave before you regret sitting here." She said as tears threatened to fall from her eyes but he only chuckled and get up.

"What? Or I will end up like them?" he asked and Elena groaned as her tears fall freely and she ran her hands through her hair. She stood up and faced him as she let out a bitter laugh.

"You run a pathetic life, John. My dad deserved a better brother than you and Katherine deserved a better father than you." She said. "But you know what? Go ahead and blame me for everything that happens to the people I stay with, tell them that I will cause them nothing but misery and make sure they leave me, at the end of the day a brain filled with alcohol is not going to lure them into staying away from me." She said as she ran out of the grill, Damon long forgotten.

All this time, John looked at her at someone who is the reason for his brother's death? How could she be blamed for something that happened when she wasn't even there? Is it because she is the only one left in her family? Why would john think that she is going to do anything that would hurt Damon? This is exactly why she didn't want to come out.

The day just wasn't her day.

..

"Elena!" Damon said as he came back into the grill and noticed she wasn't there. He left to see Tyler's new car and they had totally forgotten to call Elena. What was he thinking? Leaving her all alone? He hadn't left her side since the day he came back from New York.

He exhaled loudly as her phone went straight to voicemail. Sure, she has been acting so distant and weird lately but he didn't know why. He looked to his side and saw John Gilbert.

"You fucking bastard." Damon growled as he walked up to John. "You talked to her didn't you?" he shouted and John shrugged feigning innocence.

"I don't know what you are talking about." John said.

"Where is Elena?"

"How would I know? You told me to stay away from her." John shrugged as he sipped on his alcohol and Damon hissed as he turned around and flashed out of the grill. He walked to his car hoping that Elena is waiting for him there but his shoulder slumped when he found an empty car.

He drove to Elena's house with different thoughts on his mind. Was she upset because they left her all alone or maybe she was just tired? He hoped for the latter as he parked outside her house and jumped out of the car as he ran up to her room and he saw Katherine with her.

"Elena?" he whispered as he take place beside her and saw that Katherine was also on the verge of tears but she is not letting them fall. "What is happening?"

"Nothing." Elena said and Damon glares at her.

"Elena-"

"It is John." Katherine answered. "He is getting into her head and planting stupid things into her mind."

"Things like what?" Damon asked confused as he took Elena's hands in his.

"He might be right." Elena sniffled as she took her hands away from Damon and hid her face with her palms.

"Don't you dare believe that old man." Katherine shouted. "He doesn't know what he is talking about and I am not going to let him mess with you."

"Can someone tell me what the hell is happening?" Damon snapped and Katherine gets up to leave. "I saw him at the grill and he said that he didn't see her."

"Well, he is lying. He is not ready to receive another punch." Katherine said as she walked out of the room.

"Elena, talk to me."

"Am I a problem?" she asked silently. "Is it dangerous to be around me?" she asked as she finally looked into his eyes with her red ones. He flinched when he saw her eyes and he cupped her face with his hands.

"No, you are amazing Elena." He said. "You might not know this but you are the reason why I changed, why I want to be good. I want to be good enough for you."

"I am not good enough for you." She said. "Everyone around me is in danger." She cried. "They all died because of me." She whispered as a loud sob escaped her mouth and Damon looked away.

John must have told her that her parents and brother died because of her and he wants her to stay away from Katherine just like he told her five months ago. He hugged her as he whispered soothing words in her ear.

"You know how John is." Damon said as she finally stopped crying and pulled back. "He only wants Katherine back and he knows she won't go back to him unless you let her go." His thumb grazed her brow. "Don't believe what he says. He has nothing better to do with himself." He said and she finally nods and smiled softly at him.

..

"John!" Katherine shouted as she entered the house that used to be her home once. She hissed when she saw how filthy the living room looked. She kicked a bottle of whiskey with her leg and it broke.

"What the fuck?" John stumbled out of the bedroom and Katherine crossed her arms.

"Oh so you heard me but you didn't come out until you know your whiskey is in trouble." She smirked as she kicked another bottle of whiskey and it broke.

"Stop it!" he shouted as Katherine smirked and moved over to him.

"This time it is your bottle of whiskey. Next time it is you." Katherine said firmly. "Stay away from me and Elena." She said each word tightly before turning around.

"I am not going to let you get hurt by staying near her." He said as she walked back to him.

"I am 23 years old. You don't have a say in my life, stay away from me or you know the consequences." She hissed before walking out of the house and slamming the door behind her.

_End of flashback._

Elena rushed out of the car as Damon parked in front of the Saltzman's mansion. She swings the door open as she saw Grace, Alaric and Jenna's daughter with her babysitter.

"My baby..." Elena yelled as she reached for the fifteen months old girl and took her in her arms. "Where is Mummy?" Elena asked as she pressed soft kisses to the girl's cheeks.

"ma- ma..." the girl blabbered as Elena laughed and felt someone hugged her from behind.

"I thought you were gonna die." Of course, Katherine.

"Well, here I am." Elena said as she turned around and hugged her as Katherine took Grace from Elena's hands.

"Are you kidding?" Katherine said. "If Damon had not call, what do you think will happen? Alaric has already gone nuts."

"Speaking of... where are they?" Elena asked.

"They will be back in an hour or so." Katherine said as Grace Babysitter see that Grace and her are being royally ignored by the two cousins and she took Grace from Katherine as Katherine gave her a soft smile. "Where is Damon?"

"I don't know, outside maybe?" she said silently knowing that Katherine is going to start her 20 questions the next minute. "Where is Mason?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" Katherine said as she slapped her forehead. "He went back to Mystic Falls to meet Tyler and talk about their company."

"Oh!"

"So tell me-" Katherine smirked. "How you ended up with Damon."

"You know. Damon told Alaric and I told you."

"Yes but I wanna hear everything, face to face." Katherine said and Elena rolled her eyes. "Did you tell him?"

Elena's face dropped as they moved to one of the rooms in the big house "No, I didn't." She sighed.

"Elena-"

"I am still having the nightmares, Katherine." Elena said and Katherine's face dropped.

"What? But they stopped like many months ago, how?"

"Damon heard me calling for him one night." Elena shrugged. "I think it has something to do with the fact that I want to tell Damon but I can't get it out of my mouth."

"Maybe telling him is how you can get rid of them." Katherine said as she squeezed Elena's hands.

"He is going to murder him with his hands."

"And you care?"

"I don't care but I don't want anyone I love near him." Elena sighed. "He told me he is done with me and he never looked for me or showed his face again."

"I still don't understand why you didn't report this-"

"Because Damon will know and he is going to flip-out." Katherine nods and Elena smiled as she gets into the bathroom.

She took off her jacket and gently brushed her scars, she knew Damon was going to find out about them but she didn't know it would be sooner. They looked better now; it was much worse after it happened but thanks to Katherine and her doctor tricks, they fade in time. The only ones left are the huge cut in her right arm and the other two on her left arm.

She took a bath and rushed into the room because of the cold and get under the blanket and Katherine laughs.

"Please go and bring my suitcase from the living room." Elena said in a begging tone and Katherine looked away.

"No can do."

"Please. Please, please-" Elena sang as Katherine threw her arms up in the air and gets up.

"Fine." She huffed as she walked out of the room and Elena laughed as she pulled the blanket over her head. She heard someone open the door to the large room but she didn't move. When the blanket was ripped off her body, she squealed and she saw a face that she didn't expect.

"You!" she laughed as she clutched the towel to her body.

"Me." Damon mocked in her voice and she shakes her head and get back into a sitting position.

Damon sat down beside her and grazed his hands over her scars and left a trail of goose bumps as she closed her eyes letting the feeling sink in.

"Damon-"

"I wanna know what is behind these-" he said as he leaned in to kiss her arm but she backed away.

"They are ugly." _They happened in an ugly way. _

"No, you are flawless. Scarred or scar less, you are mine. You were always mine, aren't you?" he asked softly as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Damon-" she whispered again as she closed her eyes.

"Aren't you?" he said as he moved his face closer to her and she can feel his cool breath on her face as she nods and her tears fall freely.

"Yes, I am." She whispered as he closed her mouth with his in a passionate kiss and she forgot about where they are and who they know. This now it is only her and him. Her boyfriend. Damon and Elena.

,

_**Dark days are about to come in 2011.**_

_**They are already here, I can smell them. ;) 4 chapters to go. **_

_**And I realise that the link I posted in chapter 10 dint work. So tell me what you think of the poster for my next story. ;)**_

_**www . freeimagehosting x71qs ... remove the spaces. Please tell me what you think.**_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Elena." Jenna said as she ran into the house and hugged Elena tightly. "Thank god you are okay. I talked to you on the phone but I wasn't sure you are the one. I was so worried."

"I am here. I am fine." Elena laughed as she pulled back and looked at Jenna, the last time they saw each other was in September for Elena's birthday. The Saltzman's family drove to Mystic Falls for her birthday and they had a really good time.

"Yeah, thanks to Damon." Jenna said and Elena fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Thanks to Damon." Elena agreed. "Speaking of, where is he?"

"With Alaric, probably drinking their asses off." Jenna joked and Elena laughed heartily as Katherine came down the stairs. "Tell me how all this happened."

"Uh, there is nothing to talk about." Katherine mimicked in Elena's voice and cocked a brow as both Jenna and Elena glares at her. "Okay, it is not funny." Katherine said raising her hands up in surrender as she pulled out a chair from the dining table and sat with them.

"Okay, he kinda showed up when I crashed my car."

"You crashed your car?" Jenna shouted and Elena rolled her eyes and shot Katherine a look. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was expecting this exact reaction that is why I didn't tell you." Elena shrugged and Jenna sighs. "Besides, I am here in one piece."

"So Damon showed up?" Katherine wiggled her brows.

"And he offered to take me home... to his house." She said and looked at Jenna who has a childish smile on her face before she continued. "I agreed and we went together. He was so kind and sweet." Elena smiled.

"Yeah, that is Damon." Jenna spoke. "Besides, it is you. You are the only one in his good graces." She paused and carefully asked her next question. "Did you tell him?" Jenna asked and Elena shakes her head. "Elena-"

"I am going to tell him, when he comes back with Alaric." Elena said and both Katherine and Jenna sighed in relief.

She planned on telling Damon whatever is stopping them from taking the next step in their relationship; she just hoped he is going to want her after lying for him for a full year. But she didn't exactly lie, she didn't tell him because she really believed what John said about her and because of all the danger that crashed in her in a matter of three months.

As a twenty three year old when the incident happened, she didn't know how she let John enters her mind and messed with it.

"So who is ready for dinner?" Katherine jumps up and Elena did the same.

"Me. I am starving." She giggled. "We didn't stop at anywhere; he kept driving like a maniac." Elena joked and Katherine laughed out loud.

"Okay, I am so telling him this." Katherine said and Jenna clears her throat.

"As if he is going to believe you." Jenna said.

"We don't have to eat now." Elena blushes and Katherine turned around looking at her with a hand on her hip. "I think we should wait for them to come back."

"You won't eat dinner without Damon." Katherine exclaimed.

"You are starving, he will understand." Jenna said and Katherine grins as she rushed back to where they are sitting and Elena sat down.

"Let her be." Katherine said. "They are so cute." Katherine said as she put her elbow on the table and put her chin in her palm looking at Elena who is bushing.

"Stop it."

"Did you do it?" Katherine asked.

"What?" Elena said a bit confused and she gasped when she realised what Katherine is saying. "No. No. No." She said and Katherine goes back to a sitting position.

"What, it is not like you guys haven't done it before." Katherine said and Elena giggled.

"I am not going to jump in bed right after we got back together." Elena said. "I mean, not everybody gets second chances like me. We have to take it slowly." She said and Katherine nods.

"Well, you deserve a second chance and a thousandth chance."

"Yes. And I am glad you are taking it slow." Jenna smiled proudly.

"_Aunt Isobel." Elena shouted as she ran into the second Gilbert's home and Isobel hugged her._

"_What is it?" she asked with a soft voice and Elena giggled._

"_Katherine is mad at me." Elena said. "We were racing and I won; now she is pouting outside." The nine year old giggles as Isobel laughed and pulled Elena with her to where Katherine is still pouting._

"_Oh come on, baby." Isobel said as she took Katherine's hands in hers and Elena laughed as she showed her tongue to Katherine who is glaring at her._

"_I am not going to play with her again." Katherine said and Elena laughed._

"_Who are you going to play with? Damon and Stefan?" Elena said. "Damon is not nice and Stefan is a dummy, he is always running behind and playing football." Elena concluded and Isobel laughed as she pulled both of them with her._

"_You not what is going to happen kids?" she asked and they shook their head. "I will give an ice cream to anyone who is not sad." She said as they both jumped up and down and Isobel made her way back inside as she left them alone and she saw them run to the backyard through the kitchen window._

"_Whoever takes it first is going to play with it." Katherine shouted as she ran to the barn in the backyard. "But don't use your long legs on me." _

"_Where is Uncle John?" Elena asked as they entered the barn and Katherine was the first one to take the teddy bear. _

"_I don't know." Katherine said. "He is still at work I guess, he is not talking to me."_

"_What did you do?" _

"_Am I always the one that has to do something?" Katherine said putting her hand on her hip._

"_No, I am just saying... and you are not exactly the sweetest girl." Elena said as she sticks her tongue out and Katherine rolled her eyes._

"_I didn't do anything." _

"_Okie. Dokie." Elena said as they continued playing._

"You know I can still beat you in cycling, right?" Elena said with a smirk and Jenna groans.

It is always like that when they have nothing better to do. Elena was always better in cycling and Katherine in running but Katherine refused to accept that Elena is better.

"Okay guys. Let's watch something before Damon and Alaric comes back." Jenna said trying to dismiss the topic.

"No, we are going cycling." Katherine smirked back at Elena and Jenna frowns.

"Do you have bicycles here?" Elena asked Jenna.

"Yes, they do." Katherine said as she stands up. "The only thing they don't have in this mansion is... nothing." Katherine giggled.

"Need I remind you guys that it is 7 pm?" Jenna said rolling her eyes and Elena giggled.

"No thanks." They said as they both walked out to the cold evening kicking the snow as they made it out to the roads with the bicycles and Jenna followed them out a few minutes later.

_18th September 2011._

Damon smiled slightly as Elena and Katherine walked up to his car. They are having a private lunch, only the three of them. Katherine refused to go but Damon insisted that he want her there. Caroline, Mason and Tyler have left for Florida but not without wishing Elena.

"Hi Damon." Katherine said and Damon smiled as he kissed Elena's cheek who is now on the passenger's side.

"Happy birthday Sweetheart." He said and Elena giggled softly as she turned to look at him.

"That is the seventh time you are saying this today." She said and he shrugged and she kissed his lips placing her arms on his shoulder.

"Ugh, can we leave already?" Katherine said and Damon turned to look at her and saw that she is covering her eyes with her palms.

Elena laughed and listened to Katherine and Damon's chit chat without interfering. For some reason that she herself didn't know, she didn't want to go but Damon insisted with his constant 'you have to go out and see the world, besides it is your birthday.' He gave her a beautiful silver necklace with diamonds on it and she felt like what she gave him on his birthday wasn't enough. Katherine said that it was, she gave him a Rolex watch. Not that he didn't have many of them but she didn't know what to give him.

"Elena, did you agree?" he asked and she blinked twice, she wasn't listening to anything they were saying.

"Where were you?" Damon cocks a brow and a frown appears across his face.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"I said we are not going to eat lunch at the grill, we should go to somewhere else right?" he said still not happy about her zoning out in the middle of conversations. "It is your birthday." He said and she laughed, that is like the 70th time he is mentioning that today.

"Yes, I agree."

"Ugh!" Katherine groaned.

"You know you can leave anytime right?" Elena joked and Katherine smacked her lightly on the forehead.

"Ah ah, if you really wanna stay keep your hands off my girlfriend." Damon said and Elena giggled as Katherine leaned back in her seat and pouts.

They stopped at the restaurant on the outskirts of Mystic Falls and entered as they ordered their food and star eating immediately.

"This is not a restaurant." Katherine shouted over the music. "It is a frigging club." She said and Elena nods in agreement as Damon asked Elena to dance with him when they finished eating. Katherine excused herself to answer a call outside and Damon and Elena made their way to the dance floor as Damon twirled her in his arms.

She put her palms on his shoulder and his arms circled her waist as they danced to Stand by Me by Ben E. King. He joined his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes as she closed hers immediately and he took her lips in his. Her arms circled his neck and he pulled her waist to him tightly. She moaned slightly as his thumbs danced on her lower back. He knew what to do to drive her crazy. They both pulled back for air and she saw Damon's blue eyes turned grey in the dim lights.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." he whispered back as he pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose and she giggled. "I love it when you make that sound." He whispered in her ear as his teeth scraped against her earlobe and a shiver went down her body and she giggled again as he kissed her shoulder. "You drive me crazy." He murmured and she arched her head back as her hands lunged at his hair.

She can't believe that they are having a full make out session on the dance floor and nobody seems to give a damn about it. Something hit her mind and she opened her eyes immediately.

"Damon. Where is Katherine?" she asked as her eyes widened a little. "They have been dancing for almost 10 minutes and she is not back. Katherine would have done something just to annoy them if she is back.

"She went to answer a call." He said as he pulled back breathing heavily. "Come on, let's go check her."

"She might be alright you know?" Elena said. "She will be back."

"No Elena, I can see that you are worried." Damon said as he cupped her cheeks. "Don't worry about me, okay?" he said as he pulled her hand with him to outside the restaurant and Elena let out a loud scream and Damon gasped when he saw where she is looking.

He ran to the direction she was already running at and crouched on her knees. A car had hit Katherine from the looks of it and the person didn't stop. She checked her head and saw that she has lost a lot of blood she hugged Katherine's body and Damon moved to her as she cried.

"Katherine, Katherine." She called out. "Please, please wake up." She cried loudly and Damon crouched down beside her as she shakes Katherine hard.

Who would do this and run away? She is losing a lot of blood already and there was nobody there. How long had this happened? She was there dancing when her cousin is dying. If it hadn't been for Damon, they would still be on that dance floor. She cried as she felt a hand trying to pry Katherine's body from hers.

"Damon, what are we gonna do?" she cried and her voice hitched. "Is she gonna..." she couldn't bring herself to say the word that is in there in her mouth.

"No, she is not." Damon soothed as he picked Katherine's body and Elena swallowed a lump in her throat and stood up. "Come on, she is going to be fine." He said as they walked to the car and he put Katherine's body in the backseat and Elena entered the passenger's seat and cried in her hand as Damon starts driving.

Damon cringed as Elena let out a sharp breath and continued to rock back and forth in her seat.

"I can't lose her." She cried. "I can't stay alone anymore."

"You won't lose her, Elena." He said softly as his arm snaked around her back and rub small soothing circles on her. "You won't lose her." He said and she caught his arm like it is the only thing she can hold onto right there.

They reached the hospital really fast because of the lack of traffic and Damon squeezed Elena's shoulder before they both stepped out and the doctors came and took Katherine. Meredith Fell followed them inside the hospital as Katherine was rushed into the emergency room.

"Why didn't you call the ambulance?" she asked.

"And just stay there and watch her losing blood while we wait for an ambulance?" Damon glared at her. "No, sorry to break it to you but we are not cripples." He snapped and Meredith bit her lip as Elena removed her hand from Damon's and leaned against the wall. They watched her go and Meredith turned to Damon.

"That is not what I mean." She said. "It is pretty dangerous to take her in your car with blood all over her body." She said sincerely and continued "Anyway, what happened to her?" she asked and moved to write a report and Damon clears his throat.

"We don't know what exactly it is but we went for lunch and she excused herself to answer a call, she was outside for longer than we expect and Elena starts getting worried, that is when we decided to check on her and we saw her on the road." He paused. "A car had hit her and nobody was there."

"Who was the person that called her?" Meredith asked and Damon shakes his head.

"I don't know, we don't have her phone."

"I have it." Elena said as she stood up from where she was sitting on the ground and walked up to them with her shoes in her hand. "Here it is, it is turned off though."

Meredith turned on the phone and smiled slightly at Elena and Damon took Elena's hand in his as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Meredith frowns a little and she turned the screen to Damon and Elena.

"An unknown number called her." Elena breathed out.

"I think we need to call the police." Damon said through clenched teeth and Elena snapped her gaze to him.

"Why?"

"This is clearly a set up, Elena." He said. "An unknown number called her and suddenly a car hit her and nobody was there to help and the car ran away." he paused as Meredith nods. "There is something going on under all this."

"I agree with Damon but where is her father." Meredith asked and Elena gasped.

She totally forgot about John in all this. He is going to skin her alive if he knew what has happened to his daughter, on her birthday. He told her to stay away from Katherine but she didn't. Maybe this is her fault too. Everyone around her is dying through car accident. Her thoughts were cut short when she felt someone wiping away her tears. When did she start crying again?

"Tell me doc, shouldn't you be in there with Katherine right now?" Damon said a bit harshly as he wrapped his arm around Elena.

"I don't work here; they are taking care of her." She said. "Almost all the people in there are her friends; they are going to do anything to save her."

"Okay, thank you." Damon said clearly irritated by her presence and she shakes her head and turned around leaving them alone.

Damon took Elena's hand and led her to the waiting chairs and sat her down. He squeezed her hand and she put her head in the crook of his neck as she breathed calmly.

"She is going to be okay." He whispered. "We are going to get through this." he said and when she heard the words came out of his mouth, a wave of relief washed her and she nods.

They stayed there for more than an hour before Doctor Young comes out of the emergency room and walks up to them.

"How is she?" they asked in unison. Elena waited for his answer, it better be good or she is going to lose it if it is bad.

"She is still sleeping." He said as he stared at the big clock on the hallway. "But she is going to wake up in four hours or so, her left arm is broken and her head was hit pretty bad but there is no fracture on her skull." he said. "There is a cut in her neck but she is going to get through it just fine. Her arm is going to take six or seven weeks to heal completely." He concluded with a smile.

"Can we see her?" Elena asked not returning any of his smile but the information relieved her more than anything.

"You are her sister?" he asked and Elena nods quickly.

"Yes."

"You can go. You should come and see me for some prescriptions later." The doctor smiled and Elena flew in the room she is moved to and Damon followed her.

She touched Katherine's cheek slightly and she was glad to see Katherine breathing calmly. She smiled at Damon as he brought her a seat and she sat down beside the bed.

"I texted Mason." Damon said and Elena turned to look at him.

"Good, you can call Alaric and Jenna too." she said. "I don't know if we should call John too."

"No, let's wait for her to wake up and decide if she wants to see him." He said and she nods as Damon's phone started ringing. "It's Mason." He sighed and he walked out of the room slowly to answer the call.

Elena thought back to when her parents and Jeremy died, she had Caroline and Bonnie but Katherine was always by her side. Maybe because she lost a family and the brother she has never had.

What bugs her mind is that John might be right about her being a curse. Her parents died in a car accident when coming back from Denver. A car hit Jeremy when he was coming back from school and now Katherine. What is she supposed to do? She can't lose anyone anymore.

And there is Damon; he has stick to her all the time. He never left her side in the good and bad times, not that there are many bad times but he is always there for her. He travels to New York many times but the only time he had stayed long was when he spent one month and after that he only spends a week or less than that when he went there.

"Get the fuck out of here." She heard a really harsh voice and she turned around. John was there.

"I am not going anywhere." She said stubbornly and crossed her arms against her chest as she turned her head to look at Katherine.

"Which part of I don't want you near my daughter don't you understand?" he said and Elena ignores him. "Everyone that stays near you ends up dead, Elena. If you really care about Katherine, you will stop seeing her."

"Why don't you let Katherine decide that?" Damon said in a whisper tone as he clenched his fists and stalked towards John. "Who called you here?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he laughed. "This is my daughter, this is not the whore you call your..." he didn't finish his sentence as Damon's fist collided with his nose.

"Get the fuck out of here." Damon said through clenched teeth and Elena walks up to him and took his knuckles in her hand preventing him from throwing another punch.

"Damon please." Elena said softly. "We are here because of Katherine not him." She said and Damon nods as John rubs his nose and they both glared at him.

"I will be back." He said and Damon let out a dry laugh.

"The next time you come here and make another snarky comment, you are going to get admitted in this hospital." Damon smirked and John stalked out of the room slamming the door in the process as Elena let out a sharp breath and stroke Damon's cheek.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes." He smiled softly. "Can't say the same for you though." He said and she smiled shakily.

"I am just happy that she is going to be fine." She smiled. "You talked to Mason?"

"Yes, he is losing it. He is following the morning flight. No flights tonight." He said and she nods. "Hey, she will be awake in less than two hours. Let's grab a dinner; you look like you could use dinner."

"Yes but I am not leaving her."

"Elena-"

"I am serious." She said and he shakes his head and cups her cheek.

"Hey, why don't you go to Dr. Young like he said and take the prescriptions and let's see what we can do from there?" He said and she nods. "Ask him what we can bring for her to eat. I can fix something for her."

"Thank you" she said and he smiled. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."

"I will be here till you don't want me anymore." He said "Hell, I won't leave if you don't want me." He smiled and she laughs slightly as they made their way to Dr. Young's office.

_End of flashback._

"You know this is really childish right?" Jenna said as she watched Katherine and Elena bickers about who won the race and who doesn't.

"I was the first to cross the road but I didn't make it here when my bicycle fell." Katherine whined and Elena rolls her eyes. That is Katherine; she never loses in her opinion.

"You lose." Elena said as Katherine glares at her and takes a handful of snow and throws it to Elena. "Where is Grace?" Elena asked Jenna as she dodges Katherine and walked away.

"She is asleep." Jenna said. "She loves her babysitter."

"I can see that."

"Let's build a snowman." Katherine said and Jenna turned around to the house and leaves them alone.

"It is almost 8pm; Damon is going to flip out if he even knows I am out here." Elena said and Katherine shrugs.

"Fine, be that way. Boring old Elena." Katherine teased and Elena's response was cut before it even came out of her mouth.

"Elena!" she heard a harsh voice calls behind her and she saw Damon looking at her with red eyes and his fists clenched into a ball.

"Damon?" she walked towards him but she didn't touch him, it is not the best idea from the way he is looking at her. What could she have possibly done? She looked Alaric and saw him shooting her an apologetic look and her shoulders slumped.

Alaric told Damon.

She was planning to tell him when he came back.

...

_**So so so so so who likes?**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Okay, I have to take this chapter back to show how Alaric 'spilled the beans'.**_

_**This chapter is rather boring but I needed it, it gets better in the end though. Tell me if you like it. ;)**_

_**And your reviews in the last chapter were very awesome and kind. I love love love you all. **_

Chapter 13

_5__th__ January 2013._

"Damon." Alaric said as he parked the car and both him and Jenna exited from the car. "I never thought I would see you again." Alaric said as he walked up to him.

"Hi Damon." Jenna said and ran into the house before he could say something; she is probably going to make sure her cousin is in one piece.

"Guess we have a certain someone to thank about that." Alaric smirked and Damon smiled as they shook hands. After he came out of the room Elena was staying, he walked downstairs and played for some minutes with his goddaughter before coming outside and drowning in his thoughts.

"Yeah, you can say that." He smirked back. "Someone came back out of nowhere and stole back what is hers." He said and Alaric rolled his eyes.

"I never thought you would be this cliché because of a girl, Damon."

"She is a really special girl." Damon said and Alaric nods in agreement. "So how is work? Grace is turning into a big girl." Damon grins and Alaric laughed.

"Yes she is and work is fine." He said. "If you are free, I can show you some parts of the work." He said and Damon smiled.

"There is nothing I am doing. Come on." He said as they walked back to Alaric's car and stalked into the town of Richmond.

This is the third time Damon is seeing Alaric since his breakup with Elena. Damon tried to stay as far away from her as possible because he knew what the sight of her is going to put her through. He didn't cut himself from Alaric because he is the one person he trusted with his life after Tyler and... Elena.

He never stopped loving her. He stopped trusting her but that was understandable but seeing how Elena has changed, he knew there is something that pushed her to do what she never wanted. It surprised him how he started trusting her again the minute she let her guard down and cried when he talked to her about her nightmares.

She promised she is going to tell him what happened soon.

"We are here." Alaric said and Damon snapped out of his thoughts and followed Alaric to the big company in front of him.

"Okay, the last time I came here it doesn't look like this." Damon said.

"Well, the last time you came here it wasn't a publishing company." Alaric responded with a smirk and Damon's jaw dropped in surprise. The Saltzman's company was originally a textile industry but Alaric had changed it.

Damon knew that Alaric always had a dream of a publishing company but it never occurred to him that he will change it so fast and that too without his knowing.

"That is great." Damon said as they walked inside the industry. "But I am shocked that you didn't tell me this. In fact I am hurt." Damon said as he placed a hand on his chest in a mock gesture and Alaric laughed.

"Oh come on. Don't pout." Alaric said as they strolled to his office. "Jenna is the editor in chief." He said and Damon cocks a brow which made Alaric laugh.

"What about her job?"

"Well, this is more profitable and she is good at it. We are still on our first one though. It is a nonfiction drama about a 35 year woman blah blah blah..."

"Blah blah blah, I don't wanna tell you." Damon teased and Alaric shook his head.

"No, you know I can tell you."

"Seriously Ric, why do I know about this only now?" he said seriously and Alaric sighed and crossed his arms against his chest. "I mean, I am sure everyone knows."

"Damon, it happened 3 months ago. October, remember that hectic month of yours?"

"Yes but did Tyler know about this?"

"Yes, I asked them not to tell you because you were busy and I don't want you to feel awkward or anything with Elena here..."

"Stop blabbering." Damon said.

"So, I am sorry. I wanted to tell you but at the same time I want you to come on your own when you are free so that you can have a better look at the thing. Come on." Alaric said as they stood up and start going round the company.

"_I am shocked to say the least." Damon grinned as he takes Alaric's suitcase with him. "I never thought I am seeing someone from Mystic Falls again." _

"_Yeah, I just wanna check up on you." Alaric sighed as he plopped on the couch in Damon's little apartment. "It has been two years, no call or anything. I couldn't find a valid answer from Stefan and I said fuck it, I am coming to New York myself."_

"_How is he doing?" Damon asked a little sad at the mention of his little brother. They were never close because of his mother and he left when Stefan is 14 years old. He is 16 now._

"_He is fine." Alaric said. "Your aunt is taking care of him."_

_Damon shrugged and said "How is everyone, Tyler?" _

"_Ugh, everyone is great. So how is the registration going on?" Alaric asked._

"_Great." Damon smiled. "I am almost done, gonna start lectures next week. I am nervous and excited." He grinned._

"_Oh you'll get over it." Alaric said and leaned over. "Does Anna live here?"_

"_No." Damon shakes his head. "I moved out." _

"_Why?"_

"_I can't live with her and you know that." Damon said as he stood up and brought Alaric a soft drink. "She is so controlling and she hasn't changed a bit. I tried to talk to her but to her, I am only a pathetic little child that doesn't know a thing. I got a job at a restaurant here and moved out."_

"_What about your inheritance?"_

"_I have never talked about that."_

"_What?" Alaric asked and Damon nods. "Are you serious?"_

"_Look, I talked her into giving me the money for university. After weeks of talking to her, she threw it in my face and I took it but I never talked about it."_

"_You are insane."_

"_Yeah, thanks."_

"Let's hit the bar. What say?" Alaric winked and Damon grinned.

"Yes. My thoughts exactly."

"Don't let me drink much for the sake of Pete. I have some secrets that I don't wanna share." Alaric joked and Damon gasped.

"Wait, you are gay?" Damon said and Alaric shakes his head and held up his middle finger at Damon.

_18__th__ September 2011 (night)._

Elena emerged from Dr. Young's office and sighed loudly before looking around her to see if Damon is back. He said he wouldn't stay long and she has been in that office for 30 minutes. He should be back by now; she should have fewer things to worry about. With Katherine in the hospital and Jenna's EDD in two days, she really don't want to add more things to her problem.

She walked to the room Katherine was admitted and gasped when she saw Katherine trying to sit up. She rushed and helped her by putting the pillow behind her and sitting beside her.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." Elena cried. "Ever again."

"I am sorry." Katherine murmured. "I don't-"

"Shh." Elena said as she smoothed Katherine's hair with her palm. "It is okay. You can explain later." Elena said but looked up again. "I need you to tell me who called you when you went outside."

"It was Mason." She said. "And then an unknown number called me-"

"You didn't know the voice?" Elena asked a bit panicked.

"It was Caroline." She said and Elena shift back a little looking confused. "She is having problem with her phone and her number keeps hiding on its own. I was trying to get to the car to take my purse with me when-"

"I know." Elena cringed. "I am sorry. Just get some rest; Damon will be here in a few minutes."

Meanwhile, Damon stood by the counter to collect the stuff he bought when he heard someone clears their throat beside him.

"Oh please tell me you are not getting her birthday gift only now." Stefan said and Damon shakes his head. Stefan was the last person he expected himself to bump into. Stefan might be his brother but his voice makes him uneasy all the time and he hates it.

"Piss off." Damon hissed.

"Oh, don't mind me. I am leaving soon, you are probably not gonna see me again." Stefan said and Damon didn't understand why he was unable to feel sad by the thought of not seeing his blood brother.

"Have you talked to Anna?" Damon asked and Stefan shrugged.

"No."

"Good."

"So, no goodbye?" Stefan smirked as Damon collected his things and Damon shook his head.

"Don't act like we really like each other, Stefan." Damon said. "I don't know about you but I don't give a damn about you." Damon spoke and he meant every word he is saying. "Now if you will excuse me, I do have a girlfriend that is waiting for me."

He said and turned to leave without looking back at Stefan and drove his car back to the hospital. With his mind thinking about the safety of Katherine and whoever did that to her, he forgot about meeting Stefan a few minutes ago.

He entered the room and he was surprised to see Katherine sitting down and Elena beside her. He walked over and kissed Katherine's forehead before grinning.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not good." She replied.

"I know, sorry I asked that." he said as his hand automatically slid around Elena's waist who is now standing up and pulled her to him as he kissed her hair. "Sorry, I stayed for long. I just realised that cooking is going to take time that is why I bought the food." Damon said and Elena smiled.

"No problem."

"Come on. Lena, Sicky, let's have dinner." He winked as Elena laughed at the mean name he called Katherine and punched his shoulder.

_30__th__ November 2011._

"You guys are here for what, two days and you are already leaving." Elena pouted as Jenna took Grace from Elena's hands.

Jenna and Alaric had come to see Katherine with their baby Grace, after two months. Katherine is feeling better, her head is no longer hurting and her arm is better. She is going back to work in the next three days and the Saltzman's are already leaving.

"Oh, don't pout."Jenna said. "We are coming back for Christmas. Besides Damon is going to New York in one week, I am sure he is going to see us." Jenna teased and Elena folded her arms against her chest.

"Yeah, you only care about Damon and Katherine." Elena said and Alaric put his arm around her shoulder as Elena looked up to him.

"You know that is not true." Alaric said and Elena smiled. He kissed her cheek as Katherine walked to the door and Damon took Elena's hands.

"We'll come back before you know it." Jenna said and Elena nods as they all waved goodbye and they turned back inside the house as Katherine walked to her room.

Elena was happy, really happy. Everything is going back to normal after Katherine's accident. Her thoughts were cut short as Damon made a rooster sound in her ear and she jumped.

"Jackass." She murmured.

"You can't blame me, after months of tension everything is going back to normal." Damon said as he sat down beside her. "I am just happy." He said as he pushed her back so she was lying on her back on the couch and he was practically on top of her.

"My thoughts exactly." She murmured as she caught his lips in a searing kiss and he responded immediately. Her hands flew to his already messy hair and massage his scalp as he pulled back a little and looked into her eyes as if searching for something before kissing her again roughly.

That was supposed to be an innocent kiss. But it was her and Damon, nothing is innocent between them. He pulled back and pulled her shirt over her head as they heard a gasp and they all turned around.

"Really, Katherine?" Elena frowned.

"What, don't you know better than to do it on the couch?" Katherine snapped as she pretend to cover her eyes with her palms.

"I liked you better when you were not allowed to walk on your feet." He said and then gasped, "Wait, I have been celibate for more than two months so I don't think I like you at all." He said and Elena smacked his head as Katherine removed her hands from her eyes and shook her head furiously.

"What, I am just saying what I feel." Damon smirked as Katherine took a pillow and threw it at him before walking out of the door briskly and Elena frowned.

"That was mean." Elena said and he shrugged.

"You know, I think we need to move back to my house." He said and Elena looked at him with a smirk.

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" Elena said and he rolled his eyes.

"Maybe, maybe not." He said. "But there are rules, I don't want any water or milk or any goddamn thing you know on this earth-"

"To be spilled on your rug. I know." She frowned. "I am not moving in with you."

"Elena, I take it back. I swear I was joking." He said and Elena smirked inwardly as she knew he was going to beg her till she give in. "You know what, if you can, just make a swimming pool on my rug or make a milk factory on it. I don't care as long as you are going to move in with me." He said sincerely and she laughed.

"You are so cute when you beg." She said as she pinched his cheek and he frowned as she gets up and starts walking away.

"What is my answer?" he asked and she turned around tapping her chin as if in a deep thought.

"Umm, your answer is..." she said slowly as he walked to her and caught her waist and she grins. "Yes, I am moving in with you but only after New Year."

"I love you." Damon said as he kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, I love you too." she said and pressed a kiss to his lips. "You are coming back in the beginning of the third week of December right?"

"Yes, actually I am coming back on 18th." He said. "Why can't we just go together?" He pouted and she smiled as she kissed his lips and put her arms around his neck and pushed herself closer to him.

"As much as I love that face, the answer is no." She said. "The last time we went to New York together, I had to come back before you actually start working."

"It won't happen again." he said.

"Damon, you can say that now but we barely got out of your apartment for two days." She said. "We were always in bed, if not bed then shower or eating but we didn't do anything."

"You are right." He said sadly and he knew she was right. The last time they went to New York together, they are way hornier than two newlyweds on their honeymoon.

"Aren't I always?" she smirked and he laughed as he starts doing what drives her crazy, he starts rubbing small circles on her lower back. "Besides-" she moaned "I have some work to do in those weeks." She said breathlessly and he watched her with a smirk as he pressed a wet kiss to her neck and she couldn't take it any longer as she pulled his head back and kissed him. She pushed him to the wall and took off his shirt as he pulled back and she growled.

"Yeah, as much as I love doing this, we have to move to the bedroom." Damon said. "I mean, Katherine." He said and she agreed as they moved upstairs and did what is practically their second to last love making.

..

Elena walked out of the shower and that was when she noticed Damon's note on the nightstand. When she woke up, he wasn't in the room. So she didn't call him, instead she walked into the bathroom and showered.

_I have to do some grocery shopping, your aunt and uncle in-law are some good eaters. They finished all the shopping we did that day before they left._

She laughed as she read Damon's note and Katherine walked into her room.

"Ugh, if you are here to yell at me for what my boyfriend say I am going to disappoint you because I can't take his role right now."

"You think I am mad at Damon?" Katherine asked unbelievably as she plopped on the bed beside Elena.

"Easy, you don't wanna break that lingering arm again." Elena joked and Katherine shakes her head.

"And this is why I don't get mad at you guys. You both have an annoying sense of humour but you were the ones that took care of me." She sighed. "I can't thank you enough."

"Uh, I really hate heart to heart." Elena joked. "I didn't know you were the one for heart to heart." Elena said as Damon walked inside the bedroom.

"Ugh!" Damon groaned as he walked inside the room. "You wanted us to get a room. Now we are in a room and you followed us here."

"You were not here when I came in." Katherine glared at him.

"I am back now." he smirked.

"Can we stop with the bickering for once?" Elena rolled her eyes. "I want both of you in the kitchen because I am really hungry."

"Okay mum." Katherine joked and Elena smirked.

"Yes princess." Damon curtsied and Elena blushed.

_End of flashback._

"So Elena?" Alaric cocked a brow as they poured another drink.

Damon smirked and shook his head. He knew this was the reason for branching to the bar. Jenna will know everything from Katherine and Elena but he wouldn't.

"What about 'Lena?" Damon asked and Alaric gave him a narrowed look. "Fine, she showed up the day the road closes but you already knew that."

"Yes, I know." Alaric said as he downed his drink at once. "What I don't know is how you are together right now?"

"Well, we are together." Damon said as he took down his drink in one go too. "She has been through a lot-" he said and Alaric shoots him a pointed look as he continued. "Not that I know what actually happened to her but."

"Believe me, if you want to move on with her and just forget it you better do." He said and Damon glares at him as he walked out of the bar.

"Yeah, I want to be with Elena but just because I forgive her for leaving me, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to know what actually made her leave me." Damon said as he heard Alaric followed him.

Yes, he wants to be with Elena for the rest of his life but Alaric doesn't know what he is talking about. Maybe the alcohol he drank is playing with his brain. He understood that Elena went through a bad phase when he left her alone at Mystic Falls and when he came back, he found out that she had changed but that doesn't mean he wants to live in darkness forever.

"Damon, I don't mean to offend you but I am looking out for the both of you." Alaric sighed. "You wouldn't be able to live with it and I don't want her going through that again. She was like a comatose when it happened, I don't want her to relive that again." Alaric defended and this information was only new to him.

When Elena broke up with him, he was sure that she was cold and she didn't feel anything or it was just her acting skills but he knew something bad happened. But he hates pushing people; it is not like he opened up to people but him pushing a person is a big fat hypocritical move.

"What happened to her?" Damon asked in a low voice.

"I don't think it is my place to tell you this." Alaric said and Damon turned around in the other direction of the road. "Where are you going?"

"I am gonna find a cab and whatever it is, I am gonna find out tonight because I am so damn tired and depressed." Damon shouted angrily as he walked back to Alaric. "You don't know how it feels, right?" he said and his voice was dripping with anger and the fury in his eyes was evident. "The girl I love, for 12 years is going through some damn problem and I can imagine all the bad things in this god forsaken world happening to her" he paused "but I pushed them away because she was innocent, no one would dare do that to her." he said "She never hurt anyone, why would someone do something bad to Elena?"

"Because, you love her and you think that everybody does the same."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Damon, I am simply saying that you don't hate Elena but that doesn't mean everyone loves her, no one is perfect remember?"

"Ric, I swear to God-"

"Damon-"

"Shut the fuck up, I want to know what happened to her and I don't care if you approve or not. I waited 1 year for her and I am not going to let her go this time." He paused. "I just wanna feel-"

"Okay, I know." Alaric finished and Damon nods with a disgusted look on his face as he turned around again. "But Damon, it is just a piece of advice if you want to know."

"If you really want me to feel okay, tell me what happened to her." Damon said with a pleading voice.

"It is better if you find out from her but-"

"Thanks Alaric for the advice but I really need to go because I can snap any minute from now."

"Fine, let's go." Alaric gave up as they walked to the car. "I am just suggesting that you should let Elena tell you when she is ready." Alaric said in a low voice and after a moment he calmed down. "I mean, what Stefan did to her was not good."

"Fine." Damon said. "I am going to act like nothing-" he paused for a second and Alaric's jaw dropped to the ground as he realised he had let out the secret they had been hiding from him for a year.

"Did I hear you say Stefan?" Damon said as he slowly walked to where Alaric is standing. _Please say no, please say no. _Damon echoed in his mind but when Alaric shuffled his feet at the realisation of what he had let out and Damon walked closer and he could swear that his heart is going to tear out of his chest any moment from now. Why didn't he think of that, she acted so uneasy when he mentioned Stefan the day Rose left and she never mentioned Stefan.

Stefan is practically the only person that hates Elena.

"Yes." Alaric answered and Damon hissed as he clenched his fist to stop himself from punching the hard metal of Alaric's car.

"What did he do to her?" Damon asked and Alaric didn't answer. He thought of all the bad things that could hurt Elena and haunt her memories but he blocked out his mind but everything that she is scared of keeps coming back to him.

_Rain. Snow. Blood. Scars. _Hell, she backed away when he kissed her. she winced at his touches.

"She was raped." Damon said as he choked on the last word and the bile in his mouth made his face scrunched up in disgust. He was going to puke out everything he ate today. "**Stefan** **raped her." **he said and Alaric's nod confirms his suspicions as he slowly gets in the passenger's seat and Alaric drove them away.

..

_**So let's go murder Stefan tonight huh? She was Damon's but he touched her.**_

_**I wanted Damon to find out by himself but he needed help. Damon did thought of all the bad things but he couldn't imagine anyone doing that to Elena that is why he blocked everything out.**_

_**I am sorry, some of you will hate me for that but it happens rarely in stories that is why I include it in mine and we really need some angst right, we don't always get a happy ending. Now cheer up.**_

_**I promise for a good DE chapter after the next one. You all will have your minds blown away from their conversation. Pinky promise.**_

_**2-3 chapters to go. **_


	14. Chapter 14

_**And this came pretty fast, like real fast but I love hearing from you. I can't really blame myself. **_

_**Dark chapter, I hate writing this I swear. :'( Poor Elena.**_

_**What happens in the present are enjoyable tho.**_

_**BTW which means by the way I changed the rating to 'M' because of this chapter.**_

Chapter 14

Damon snorts as he gets out of Alaric's car and slammed the door in the process. He walked to the front of the mansion and he resists the urge to groan as he saw Katherine and Elena outside.

"Elena!" he shouted and he knew that his eyes were bloodshot red from alcohol and the anger that is burning his heart right now. He didn't say anything as Alaric drove them to the house and for all Alaric is gonna think that he has calmed down but he hasn't.

Stefan touched Elena, his Elena. Probably in some disgusted way that he didn't want to play in his mind. The thought of his dick of a brother touching his girlfriend gave him a ghastly taste in his mouth and he would never be able to wash that taste off till he take revenge on Stefan.

He should have seen that but he didn't want to. He never thought of imagining something that could hurt her in this earth but what he didn't know is that his only brother is the person that pushed Elena into misery and melancholy.

"Damon?" she asked as she walked briskly to him and she reached out to touch his face but she withdrew her hand back. She tried to read his face but all she could see was his red eyes and his mouth set in a firm line.

She looked over his shoulder at Alaric and saw him giving her an apologetic look as her shoulders slumped.

"Why? I wanted to tell him today." She snapped at Alaric in a little broken voice.

"He didn't tell me. I found out myself." Damon said in a cold voice and walked away to a bench as Alaric slowly walked beside Elena and whispered sorry to her before going inside. She winced as Katherine touched her shoulder and she knew she was seconds away from crying.

"Go and talk to him." Katherine squeezed her shoulder a little and walked away too as Elena walked to the bench Damon was sitting.

She didn't know what to say, she wanted to touch his face so badly but she wouldn't. Abused or not abused, Damon is going to want her either way but he is so possessive and jealous. And she didn't blame him. that is what she would do if something like that happened to him, god forbid.

"I wanted to tell you." She said silently at a loss of words as she sat down beside him and he ignored her and looked away. She heard his sharp intake of breath and he was practically shaking and she placed a hand on his cold shaking ones. She intertwined their fingers and she was glad he didn't take his hand away even though he didn't respond.

"I am sorry." She whispered but he stayed frozen and stared off into the space. "I hurt you, Damon." She said and he scoffs. "I knew that you wouldn't leave me even if you know and I feel like you deserved better than... damaged goods." She choked and let out a dry laugh.

"I started believing what John says about me being a curse to everyone that is close to me." She said and finally her tears slide down her cheeks and she sniffled as he turned to look at her. "I lose faith in myself; I never wanted to lose faith in you or anyone else I love." She cried and she didn't care as she continued "I thought you were better off without me but the minute I broke up with you I realised how wrong I was. I started having disturbing nightmares from the night my parents died, the night I came back-" she paused and her voice broke as she let out a loud sob and Damon realised how she is hurting "to find him in my apartment."

"You were not there, Damon." She cried. "No one is there, I was all alone and I couldn't do anything to stop him. I am sorry, I really tried to stop him but I-" she started but she stopped when her sobs over powered her voice.

Damon is still not responsive to her words and her touch but she wasn't going to back down easily. She placed her head on his shoulder and squeezed his hands as her hair fanned out and covered her face and she continued sobbing lightly. When he kissed her hair and took back her hand and squeezed them she let out a sigh of relief.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear and she cried as her arms flew around him to hug him and he hugged her back as he rocked her gently and her tears continued to stain his jacket. "You are not damaged goods. I will always love you, no matter what." He paused. "I wouldn't have left you, you are right."

"Thank you."

"I love you, Elena." He said firmly as he pulled her back and looked directly into her eyes and she blushed in embarrassment as she thought about how puffy her face must be. "That is not going anywhere forever, you should know." He finished and he nods.

"I still don't understand why you hid this from me."

"He is your brother."

"Not anymore." He snapped. "I hate him and I hate his existence on this earth. I need to do something." He snorts. "I thought that was cheap, even for a worthless mandrill like Stefan." He paused "I hate him."

"I am sorry." Elena said and Damon shakes his head.

"You did nothing wrong, Elena." He smiled but the hurt behind his eyes was unmistakable. "I shouldn't have left even after you told me that you feel nothing for me." He sighed and withdrew his hands from her face. "I should have known that something was wrong but what matters is that I am here with you and you are here with me."

"We are not going anywhere." She vowed.

"We'll stick together for the good and the bad." Damon smiled as he intertwined their fingers again. "And I can predict that the bad times are gone." He smiled and she nods as he pulled her to her feet. "Come on, we have to leave tomorrow."

"Why?" she asked confused.

"I have something to do in New York and you are coming with me." Damon said and Elena shakes her head.

"You are not going after Stefan."

"Like hell I am." He snapped.

"He is your brother."

"Don't ever say that again. I don't have a brother okay?" he said seriously and she nods but still continues.

"You are going to wake up one day and remember that he is you brother and you hurt him." She said and he scoffs.

"Elena, I am sorry but nothing is changing my mind this time around." He said. "Not even you." She nods silently and he smiled tightly as he kissed her knuckles. "Now we have to get rid of that stupid memory and the nightmares right?" she smiled giddily and tugs his hand as they walked into the mansion together.

_15__th__ December 2011._

Elena rushed into the house from her car as the rain hit her bare back and hair badly. It has been snowing since the last two weeks and it is raining now. That is Virginia. Its weather is always harsher than any state. She had spent all day at work and Katherine is coming back only at 11pm and it is only 8:30 pm now.

She stumbled into her bedroom and she jumped as the lightning comes through the window and she stepped on a glass. She winced as she quickly stumbled to the light and on it. What she didn't expect was seeing the unkempt figure of her ex-boyfriend in her bedroom. She let out a gasp of fear and reached for the door handle behind her as his strident voice echoed through the room.

"Oh, there comes my girlfriend." He said as he moved closer to her and the smell of alcohol on him makes her want to run to the bathroom.

"I am not your girlfriend." She said as she ignored the pain in her legs as she looked around to see how the bottles of whiskey were broken in her room. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Why the hell are you in my room?"

"I missed you." He burped in her face at his attempt of seducing her and she coughed and scrunched up her face in disgust.

"Get out of here." She said. "I don't want you in my house." She exclaimed as he let out another malevolence laugh and this time her heart starts racing immediately. Stefan is not in his right senses, he could use that stupid glass to hurt her or even kill her and he wouldn't give a damn.

No, he would. They were dating for six years; he can't just hurt her like that.

"Please go." She begged as he trapped her between his body and the wall and she turned her face to the side and starts sobbing as his wet mouth found her neck. She cried in disgust as she tried to get out of his trap but she couldn't. "Stefan, please." She begged. "You can do anything to me but please don't do this to Damon."

"No!" he shouted as his fingers wrapped around her neck and she used her fingers to pry his hands off but he was so strong. Another lightning and thunder came as he continued. "You were never his to begin with. You belong to me."

"Stefan please." She cried. "Please don't do this." she said as he released his grip around her neck and his hand starts unbuttoning her shirt as he threw her to the ground and she screamed as her back hits the glasses. She cried hysterically as she takes away her body from the ground and move back to the wall but as her back hit the wall, she knew the glasses are digging deeper into her body.

Stefan laughs again as he came closer to her and she puts her head on her knees and cried loudly. He continues to rip her clothes off as a sudden rush of adrenaline ran through her and she punched his face and he stumbled backwards and she limped to a corner behind the bookshelf in the hallway and hide.

She heard his voice "Elena, we used to play hide and seek together." He said in a sing song voice "I know all the hiding spots. I am going to find you."

She clamped her hand to her mouth as she heard his footsteps and she crawled to the other side and hide. When she heard his footsteps right beside her, she ran but she let out a cry as a harsh wood left big cut on her arm. She ran into the only room she could get in and she realised she is back to her room and she locked the door and slid down behind the door as the glasses dug deeper into her body. She cried loudly and she looked for her cell phone but she remembers throwing it on the couch in the living room.

She was cut out of her ideas as she heard a key in the hole trying to open the door and she gasped. She tried to get up but she couldn't move, she had lost a lot of blood. She looked to the other side of the room and saw her blood everywhere as the door opens and she faced her worst fear.

His hand came across her cheek when he came in and he smirked as she fell on her back and the piercing pain in her back made her taste blood in her mouth. Stefan might have hurt her jaw when he slapped her.

"Extra key, never thought it would be of use." He smirked as he ripped his belt from his pants and she cried and closed her eyes tightly as every pain over comes her body and she felt numb. Only painful tears were coming out of her eyes and she begged for the last time.

"Stefan please." She cried "don't do this to me." She choked when she realised who the situation is going to affect "don't do this to Damon, he is your brother."

But it was _too _late.

"Brother." He muttered the word in disgust as he did what he has the intention of doing and she didn't know what happened.

The next thing she knew is waking up and seeing Katherine beside her and immediately tears starts falling from her eyes as she remembered what happened vividly.

"Who did this to you?" Katherine cried beside her and Elena shakes her head.

"Please don't tell Damon." Elena begged. "Please. He can't live with it."

"Why not?" Katherine asked looking confused.

"If you ever respect me or my decisions, don't tell Damon." She choked as she cried. "Please."

"Fine, I won't tell him." Katherine said. "Jenna is on her way."

"Get me out of this hospital." Elena cried. "I hate everything, I hate myself." She said as she starts ripping the blankets off her and Katherine hold her but she was losing it. She can't stand the sight of blood that was dripping over her head.

"Get me out of here." She shouted and Meredith came in.

"Elena calm down, please."

"You don't know me or anything about me." She cried as she closed her eyes and Katherine did the same and cried into her hands. "I don't want to be here." She said in a shaky voice. "Just get me out of here, please."

"I would bring your discharge papers." Meredith rushed out of the room and Katherine dressed Elena as she helped her get off the bed and Meredith came back.

"Take me to Caroline's." Elena said grimly and that was the last words that came out of her mouth that entire day.

"Fine, but you are going to talk when we get there." Katherine snapped and Elena didn't care.

..

She sat with a straight face as Caroline, Jenna and Katherine listened to her when she finally told them what happened three days back. They were sobbing but she was sure no one is going to feel the amount of pain she has felt and she is feeling.

She refused to think about Damon, he has been calling her for the last two days and she heard from Caroline that he is worried and he is coming back today. She doesn't know what to do. John was right after all; her parents and her brother are dead. Katherine almost died three months back and she was the closest thing to her. Now this and she felt like it actually happened to Damon and not her.

She stiffened as they all hugged her and after some time they pulled back. She told them of her plans and they all stopped her but she is not changing her mind.

"I am breaking up with Damon." Elena exclaimed.

"No." Katherine said firmly.

"Come on, Elena." Jenna squeezed her hand. "This is not the end of the world you know. Don't push him away, he loves you. He is going to help you."

"If you insist on taking a break." Caroline said as Jenna and Katherine stared at her in disbelief. "I mean, we don't know why she is doing it." Caroline said. "Even a perfect relationship like theirs needs a break." Caroline finished and Elena could have hugged her right there but she didn't.

"So are we just going to sit here and watch Stefan get away with what he did?" Jenna said angrily as she mentioned his name with venom in her voice.

"No!" Katherine said. "He skipped town. I knew everything was about him and I talked to the police but they couldn't find anything about him." Katherine sighed. "Don't worry; they are going to find something soon."

Elena jumped slightly as someone barged right into the door. She locked eyes with Damon and his shoulder slumped as he saw her. He rushed to her as everyone slipped out of the room and left them alone. Before she could say something Damon was hugging her and she refused to let her guard down and cry. She didn't hug him back as he pulled back slowly and looked into her eyes before kissing her forehead.

She knew she was seconds away from crying but she stopped herself. She is going to break up with him. She will look weak and stupid if she cried while breaking up with him. He will know that it was not what she wanted so she follows the safest route and blurted out the words.

"I am tired, Damon."

"What happened?" he asked silently "You stopped answering my calls and-"

"I am tired of what we have, Damon." She said and his jaw dropped a little as he laughs and take her hands in his but she shrugged away. "I am not joking, Damon." She said. "I am tired of this relationship, I can't do this anymore."

"Have I done something wrong?" he asked in a little voice that she wasn't sure if he had it in him before. She closed her eyes tightly before shaking her head.

"I just need some space."

"I can give you that." he said quickly as he takes her face in his hand. "I love you, Elena. Take all the time you need but as long as you will come back, I can wait."

"Damon, I don't need a little space." She said. "I just want to be on my own. I can't do this anymore."

"Elena, please don't do this." he begged. "We are amazing together, I know you feel what I feel-"

"I don't feel anything." She cuts him off and his shoulder slumped as he moved closer to her.

"Elena, whatever it is that happened. We can get through this together." He quipped "Just don't ignore what we have, I love you. I have loved you for 11 years, I will always love you."

"I am sorry, Damon." She said as she lies down on the bed and turned her back at him and she heard his voice broke as he spoke.

"So it was all a lie." He shouted. "You never felt anything, were you trying to take revenge on me. I am not my brother." He said and when she didn't answer he whispered his final goodbye and slammed the door as he went out.

She heard the door open and she knew it was either Caroline or Katherine, she felt Caroline hugged her from behind and she finally cried. Katherine is probably mad at her for breaking things with Damon because she knew he wasn't gonna leave her and he is going to help her but she don't need his help.

She wanted to go through this all by herself; she ached for his touch and kisses the minute he left the room.

"I am sorry." Caroline whispered as Elena sobbed loudly. She will try and move on but it is going to be hard. "You are going to be okay."

"I loved him." She whispered. "But I had to; please don't let his friends hate me. I can't stand anyone else hating me after him."

"Elena, I promise that you make the best decision." Caroline sighed not sure if what she is saying is the truth. "And if you guys are meant to be you'll be together one day."

"No, he hates me." She choked as she clamped her hand against her mouth. "He hates me, I told him that I feel nothing for him" she cried loudly and Caroline soothed her. Few minutes later Katherine joined them and they all cried together.

..

"Damon!" he heard Alaric shouts as he rushed out of Caroline's house. He looked beside Alaric and find Tyler staring at him. His face hardened as he tried to stop himself from crying.

"What?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler asked and Damon laughed bitterly.

"Forget I came here today." Damon said as he gave them a last glance and walked to his car.

When Elena stopped answering his calls, he thought she lost her phone and he ignored the matter. He didn't talk to Alaric about it because he never talks to anyone about their problems. They will talk and sort everything out and then they will make up. This time around it is a mess; he saw how lifeless she looked. Something must have happened to her but he didn't wanna know what. It was all a lie, she have never loved him.

Maybe it was all about revenge. She dated him just to get back at his brother.

He is not staying for another month in Mystic Falls; he is leaving to New York after New Years. His goddaughter is the only thing that is holding him back, she deserves to spend Christmas with him and she will but he is going to avoid running into Elena at any cost.

He picked up his phone and called Rose to spend the Christmas with him and she happily obliged.

_End of flashback._

"No, you are not leaving." Jenna whined. There is no way on earth she is letting her niece leave when she have been planning to spend the whole week with her.

"Jenna-" Elena started but an angry Jenna cuts her off.

"No, and that is my final answer." She said as she walked away from the table not without telling Damon what a bad influence he is on her niece.

Elena laughed silently as Jenna walked away. She expected this. that is why she told Damon that it is not possible. Jenna is not backing down anytime soon. She thought of going back to Mystic Falls and Caroline flashed through her mind. She is really a bad friend; Caroline had supported her and told her all the sweet words in the world when her _own _world fell apart. And at last, Caroline was right. She is meant to be with Damon and now they are together.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Damon whispered seductively in her ears and she quivered and let out a giggle as she looked around and saw that they are the only ones left on the table.

"Nothing. Just thinking of Caroline, I haven't talked to her in ages." She said and Damon nods.

"Why don't you talk to her then?" Damon said and she nods silently as she gets up and dialled Caroline's number.

She thought of how she was completely inactive in the first few weeks of their breakup but Caroline was right there to catch her and stop her from breaking whenever she falls. Katherine has been supporting too but she missed Damon and their bickering, after almost two months of searching for Stefan, they gave up and moved on with their lives when Elena told them to.

"_Elena?"_ she heard Caroline's voice and she sighed.

"I am sorry." That is all she said. She knew she is about to get a bitchy speech from Caroline. "I tried-"

"_Don't feed me with that bullshit, Gilbert."_ Caroline shouted through the phone. _"I was worried, I called you many times but your phone was not going through. What the hell were you thinking?"_

"I am back with Damon." Elena blurted out and that caught Caroline's attention, she stopped her whining.

"_I don't think I heard you right." _Caroline said. _"Did you actually mention Damon's name?"_

"Yes, I am back with him. Long story."

"_I know it wouldn't be short." _Caroline giggled. _"What happened?"_

"I got stuck in the snow and he offered to take me to his house, a few kilometres away from Mystic Falls." Elena said and Caroline squealed.

"_Oh my god." _Caroline whispered. _"I am so happy for you." _**I was right after all. **Elena could swear that is what Caroline wanted to say because she knew Caroline is a fan of being right.

"I know right." Elena said as she felt a hand slipped around her waist and soft kisses were pressed to her neck.

"_Does he know?" _Caroline asked silently. _"You know-"_

"Yes." Elena sighed.

"_How did he take it?"_

"Not good." Elena said as she let out a squeal when Damon's teeth scraped against her shoulder.

"_Why are you squealing?" _Caroline said sharply. _"Wait, are you with him?"_

"Good night, Care'." Elena said as she hung up and sighed before throwing her phone away on the couch and turns to Damon as she kissed his lips roughly. Her hands worked on his jacket as he did the same with her.

She pulled back a little and looked into his eyes before whispering "I hate what you do to me." She said huskily "I hate, hate, hate it." She said as he groaned and pulled her lips back to his. She respond immediately as they heard a sound upstairs and they pulled back remembering where they are.

"Shit!" Damon whispered. "We need to get back to the room." He said but he hesitated a little before asking the next question "When was the last time you-" _had sex._

She shook her head to spare them the torture of the stupid thought. She was actually feeling free, maybe because she finally told the person that deserved to know it more.

"Elena, you know this can wait." He said cupping her cheeks as she shook her head again.

"It is now or never. I can't let fear overcome this, Damon." She said as she placed her hands on his that are cupping her cheek. "I love you; I can't keep us at an arm length because of it." She said and Damon does not look convinced. She shook her head as his hands slid from her cheeks and it was her turn to cup her cheeks.

"We are going to be okay." She said and he nods as he picked her up and she screeched at the unexpected action and he moved them to the bedroom.

..

_**So no any flashback after this chapter. **_

_**One chapter to go but I can't promise it anytime soon. Maybe next week. And I will try to bring out an epilogue out of it. **_

_**And before you ask, we are not done with Stefan yet.**_

_**I have a huge exams to write at the end of this week, everyone include me in your prayers. Thank you for sticking with me through this story. I really appreciate it. **_

_**And again, the poster for my next story. I didn't get single response from it. Check it out please, it won't take minute. www . freeimagehosting x71qs ... remove the spaces. **_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Elena woke up from her sleep and smiled as she felt Damon's arms tightened around her. She turned to face him as he slept peacefully. She felt like a huge load was taken from her shoulder after she told Damon about his psychopath of a brother.

For the first time in months, she had slept peacefully knowing she is with Damon and she is not letting him go anywhere now. He stirred in his sleep and she smiled as he opened his eyes and looked at her. He smiled back at her as she kissed his cheek.

"How are you?" he asked and she grinned. He is the one that supposed to tell her how she is. She never knew she was having nightmares until Katherine told her and when she thought that they had stopped Damon told her they hadn't.

She sighed and looked into his eyes with a mischievous smile on her face "I should be asking you that." she said as she scoot more closer to him and the blanket fell off her shoulder displaying her scar. Damon stared at it and frown for a moment before he reached his hand to stroke the place lightly.

"They would go away in a few weeks." He said as if convincing a little child that the injection would not be painful. She smiled sadly and nods as he put his arm around her and scoots her closer to him. He kissed the tip of her nose and she put her head in the crook of his neck.

"Elena?" he called out silently.

"Yes?"

"Do you know how much you are loved?" he asked and she stayed silent. This is not a conversation she wants to have with him. She knows how much she loved him and she is not ready to leave him but she is willing to listen to him.

"Elena, do you?" he said and she shrugged as he kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes.

"That's what I thought." He said and he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. "I want you to listen to me and believe me like you have never believed before." He said and she nods against his chest.

"Alright."

"Do you know what happened the day I came back to town and saw you drinking your ass off in the grill?" he said and she shook her head as she pulled back a little so she could see his eyes.

"You remembered everything." She chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

"I called Alaric and told him that I met the girl I want to marry."

"But you knew it was me." She said a little surprised by his straight forwardness. How could he think of that when she found it hard to stand his presence that time? He wasn't her favourite person but things do change and they did change on her.

"But it was kind of impossible" he continued "because you didn't like me. I can't explain it but I knew even then that things were going to change and I had that hop till the day I came back from New York and I knew everything has changed for me. For us." He sighed. "I live to hear your laughter. I draw easier breathes just because you are in the same room, I come undone in your arms and I would willingly die for you over and over again." he said and a single tear dropped on his chest.

"I-" she started but he cut her off.

"Don't talk, just listen. I am only saying things I should have told you years ago. I thought you knew them but I was wrong." she sniffled as his hands began to caress her hair. All this time she felt like she took him for granted, he was telling her such sweet words that she only reads in novels or watch in some chick flick or a Nicholas Sparks movie.

His hand slid to her bag and began caressing her as he rubbed a wide gentle circle between her shoulder blades until he felt her cries soften and he continued "Someday, I want to tell the world 'This is Elena Salvatore', do you believe me?" blinded by tears all she could do was nod. "And someday when you are ready, I want a family." She chocked on her tears as she let out a nervous laugh.

"I know you would, I saw the way you were with Grace yesterday. But what if I am more of a monster than a mother?" she said and he frowned as he sat up looking deeply in her eyes.

"That's stupid, Elena. There is not a mean bone in your body." He said and she smiled as she kisses his lips softly and got up.

"We have to get out of this room before someone barge in." She said and Damon nods in agreement. "Did I... you know?" she said silently as his brows furrowed a little before he understands what she was implying to.

"Have nightmares?" he smiled. "No, didn't heard a thing." His smile turned into a smirk as he put his hand under his head and continued staring at her face as her face flushed. She threw him a pillow as she scrambled off the bed clutching the covers to her body. She let out a squeal when his arms come around her waist and he picked her up twirling her around.

"Damon..." she giggled as he began tickling her sides "Put me down."

"Make me."

"Damon, I want to shower."

"Is that an invitation?" he whispered huskily in her ear and working his tongue on her earlobe as she gasped and a shiver went down her body. They could go like this all day and Damon wouldn't give a damn.

"maybe." Elena moaned as he pressed soft kisses to her neck.

"Elena?" they heard a knock on the door and Damon knew immediately who it was.

"Remind me to keep my distant from this psychopath cousin of yours." Damon hissed and Elena laughed.

"Elena, you in there?" Katherine shouted again. "I am coming in." She barged right through the door as Damon smirked as he saw her jaw dropped to the ground.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked as Elena giggled.

"Ugh, you guys." She said throwing her arms up in the air. "Just put some clothes on and come down for breakfast already."

_2 months later._

It is their seventh week back in New York and Elena had successfully convinced Damon to start working and take his mind off finding Stefan. While she spends almost all of her time with Rose, Damon will be away working in his hotel. She had already applied for a transfer to New York at her workplace and she had successfully gotten it.

Rose couldn't be happier to know that Elena is moving back to New York and Caroline wants her as one of her bridesmaid. Caroline and Tyler have finally made it official and their wedding is coming up in June.

Today Damon was taking her out on a date and Rose is helping her get ready. They hadn't been on one since the day Katherine had an accident back in 2011. It would be kind of weird to know they are going on a date.

Rose picked out a turquoise marble printed off shoulder Ungaro dress and paired it with neutral louboutin pumbs. She tied up her hair in a ponytail and it brought out her beautiful facial structure making her olive skin look fresh and young.

Damon came back and took her to a beautiful restaurant and they ordered eating in a peaceful silence.

"I love this place." Elena said as she turned to see Damon's eyes has been on her all the time. She blushed as she dropped her fork and he smiled.

"You are beautiful." He said and she shot him a teasing glare before scrunching up her nose.

"What?" she asked as she took the serviette and brought it up to her mouth wiping the corners of her lips.

"Marry me." Damon blurts out and Elena drops her serviette in shock as she froze in her seat and wait for him to repeat what he said. "Elena?"

"What did you say?" she asked in a little voice and he smiled.

"I know you heard me but I am going to repeat it." He cleared his throat. "I have never proposed to a girl or really 'date' a girl before but I know that I have loved you for what I can say my whole life and I know I will never stop loving you. I want to spend each and every moment of my life with you." He said as he brought out a little box from his pocket and opened it displaying a marvellous round brilliant diamond delicately cradled in a tapered band.

She gasped when she saw it, it was definitely tiffany's and it was going to cost a lot of thousand dollars.

"Will you marry me, Elena Gilbert?" he said and she nods biting her lips together as she suppressed her tears to prevent them from falling.

"I will." She said as a single tear fell down and Damon slid the ring in her finger as he kissed her finger. "I will marry you Damon Salvatore." She whispered as she reached to hug him but his phone interrupted the moment and Elena gestured for him to take it as she continued studying her finger.

"Hello?" Damon said into the phone.

"_Am I speaking to Damon Salvatore?" _the man on the other side of the phone asked.

"Yes, the one and only."

"_I am calling from the NYPD. We need you here right now."_

"What, is everything okay?" Damon asked with wide eyes.

"_Yes, you are okay but we need you to stop whatever you are doing and come here right now." _the police officer said again and Damon nods as he continued.

"I am on my way." He said as he hung up. "I need to go to the police station." He said and Elena gasped.

"What? What happened? Is everything..."

"I don't know for sure, come on I am going to drop you at home."

"No, I am coming with you." Elena said and Damon tilts his head to the side ready to protest "Please." She said and he gives up as he dropped the bill and takes her hand in his.

"I hope everything is okay." Elena said as Damon started driving and he takes her hand squeezing it gently as he played with her ring.

"Me too, I hope it doesn't have anything to do with Anna." Damon said silently and Elena nods. She doesn't want this night to end badly for both of them, it had started perfectly and she knew Damon's mother has every potential to ruin it.

They arrived at the police station and they entered together as a tall police man in his uniform approached them.

"Damon Salvatore." The police man exclaimed.

"Yeah, that is me." Damon said with a straight face, he wants this police officer to say whatever he wants and let them go to 'celebrate' their engagement.

"I know, you never miss the chance to grace the front page of newspapers." The police said and Damon couldn't suppress a smirk. "By the way, I am inspector Lance; do you have any relationship with Stefan Salvatore?"

Damon's eyes shot up to look at the police man; he hopes they have Stefan with them. He is going to them the favour of killing him if they want him dead.

"No." Damon said and Elena gasped beside him.

"Damon..."

"But if you want him dead, I might just do you the favour of killing him." He said bluntly and the police officer bit his lip.

"Well, no need because we need a relative to claim his body." The police sighed and Damon's mouth opened in shock. "His files said that you are his brother..."

"Well, I am not."

"Damon, he is dead." Elena said when she see how Damon looks unaffected to the death of his brother. "Damon, your brother is dead."

"He is not my brother. I don't have a brother." He said harshly through clenched teeth and the police officer looked at them in surprise.

"Look..."

"I am going to give you his mother's number." Damon said. "What happened to him?" Damon said in a small voice and Elena squeezed his hand when she saw his emotions overtaking his hatred for his brother.

"Drunk driving, his car went over a bridge and it was too late when they got him out."

"Here is her number." Damon said as he jotted down Anna's number to the police officer and turned around to his car. Elena took the keys from his hands and he gave her as he slid to the passenger's side.

She into his car and takes his hand as she squeezed them lightly and placed a kiss on his cheek. He didn't say anything as she saw unshed tears shining in his eyes as she started driving. She drove in silence and Damon didn't move, he only looks straight as she drove down to his house.

"You need to forgive him." Elena said as she parked the car. "He is dead."

"Did you?" Damon asked through clenched teeth. "Elena, he drove us apart for a year, don't you think I deserve a better brother? So now tell me, did you forgive him?"

"No, but I would if you do." She said silently.

"I don't think I will ever forgive him, Elena." He said. "I am sorry."

"Don't be, it is your choice." She smiled tightly as he got out of the car and she was surprised when he was at the driver's side opening her door for her. Her jaw dropped and she smiled as he extended his hand to hers. "Damon, you don't have to do anything."

"I know, but I want to." He said and she nods as she takes his hand. His mouth was on hers in an instant as he kissed her deeply forgetting about the outside world. She drove her hands in his hair as he pushed her back to the car and every inch of his body was pressing against hers.

"Make love to me." She whispered in his ear as his hand dropped to his side.

"With pleasure, ma'am." He said as he picked her up all the way to their room.

..

_**I personally think the ending is lame and short but I didn't know how to take it.**_

_**I really loved killing Stefan, and Damon wasn't too hard when he refused to forgive him was he? I think he deserved it.**_

_**I love everyone that read this story and most importantly those that reviewed and followed. It means a lot to me. And for the sake of this story, if you haven't listened to Taylor Swift's back to December please do it. **_

_**My next story is coming around august when school and fasting month is over. I love you guys.**_


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